Small Again
by October Reckwiler
Summary: AtobexTezuka-Everyone - Thanks to Inui's new juice, Tezuka is turned back into an elementary school child. Everyone seems to take a liking to him, and while they try to find a way to turn him back to normal or prevent finding a way , chaos ensues.
1. Transformation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters. Unfortunately. XD I really wish I did though. That would be just fantastic! But anyways, it's time to get on with this story! I'm not quite good at writing them, but I just needed to do this! Please be easy on me if there are any errors. XD; But besides that, please enjoy! ^_^**

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"Everyone! Twenty laps!" It was a normal, bright sunny day at the Seishun Gakuen tennis courts. With the Nationals quickly approaching, everyone was in full speed, each training to their greatest ability in order to prepare. Each also trying to surpass their limits. Ever since the tennis club at Seigaku had started, all the previous teams could accomplish was reaching the Kantou tournament, but they were never able to make the cut. Yet this time was going to be different. With the strongest team that the school has had so far, the Seishun Gakuen tennis team had a bright future ahead of them. Even so…

"Unyaaa, it's so hot today! Why do we have to run laps?"

"Saa, even on a day like this, Tezuka never lets up."

"Oi, Mamushi! Watch it! Your elbow hit my arm!"

"Fsssh, shut up and keep running."

"What was that!? Wanna fight!?"

"Fsssh!!"

"Ii data."

"Maa, maa! You two, settle down!"

"Mada mada dane. Here, take this, Kawamura-sempai."

"Oh… thank you, Echizen……………………………UWAAAAAH, MOERU ZE!! BAANINGGGGGU!!!! HORA HORA, COME ON!!"

At that moment, Tezuka Kunimitsu, Seishun Gakuen tennis team's current buchou, felt like they had far much more to go and so much more to do in order to be prepared for the Nationals. The stern expression he always wore never changed, even though what he felt within was complete dread for upcoming hours he would spend this afternoon with his teammates. He always took tennis practice seriously, along with all the other activities he participated in, but tennis more so. With his teammates acting the way they were now, if anyone was watching, they would probably be surprised that this was the team with the most hope for winning the Nationals. And even as the team's captain, Tezuka was surprised that _this_ was the team as well. With how things were headed, he supposed that more discipline was in order.

"Everyone! Stay focused! Momoshiro! Kaidoh! An additional ten laps! Nationals is fast approaching! We must keep the goal in mind! Yudan sezuni ikou!"

Protests were heard from the two that had gained the additional laps, but their whines and pleas fell on deaf ears. While the rest of the team finished the twenty laps assigned, the two that continued glared daggers at each other, both of them neck and neck, neither wanting to fall behind. Trusting that the two rivals were going to finish their laps without his supervision, Tezuka placed his attention on the panting figures in front of him, most specifically, to their data collector and manager. Giving a slight nod to the only other bespectacled figure on the team, he addressed, "Inui."

Inui responded in kind. "Of course." Flipping open his green notebook which he had already taken out during the run. "Everyone." Those that had lied down on the floor had sat up. Those taking sips from their water bottles had finished, closing them. Once everyone was focused on the data tennis player, he continued. "With my observations from the previous matches with the other teams and what I have witnessed during our own practices among each other, I have created a schedule specifically for conditioning." A chorus of groans resonated among most of the players, and at the same time, the two rivals had just finished running the ten extra laps. The both of them had sprinted the last of the laps and now that they had completed them, had plopped down onto the ground, completely exhausted. "Oh. Momoshiro. Kaidoh. Glad you two can make it in time for the explanation of our training schedule for today. This saves me from the trouble of explaining a second time," he acknowledged them, using his free hand to adjust his glasses.

"Oh no… not again," the spiky haired junior whined, resting an arm over his eyes. "I've had enough for today. I'm beat. Count me out." An evil chuckle from the manager sent a chill up the boy's spine, and after gaining his breath, he uncovered his eyes and sat up, looking at the data player with a feeling of dread. The rest of the team, excluding Tezuka, Fuji, and Inui himself, expressed the same feeling.

"Oh? That's unfortunate…" Inui replied, not sounding upset in the least. No. He had a wide grin stretching his face, and his glasses glinted dangerously in the sunlight. He chuckled, and some of the players scooted back a step, all knowing what was coming next. "If that's the case, then it's fine. Though, you won't be able to get away without… proper punishment." If possible, the data player's grin grew even wider. "Let me introduce you to my--"

"A joke! It was a joke!" The junior practically screamed, jumping up from his seat and backing away, his violet colored eyes alighted with absolute fear, though he laughed nervously and started jumping up and down and flexing. "Hahahaha! I was just kidding, Inui-sempai! I'm not tired at all! See? Just fine! Haha…! Ha…" He sweat dropped. Ryoma stared at his upper classman with a bored look for a moment before pulling his cap over his face, hiding his eyes.

"Baka," he mumbled to himself, even though he too was scared of whatever concoction that their manager had created this time. They all knew that whatever drink the data player made, it was a direct risk for their lives, and that it was supposed to be healthy for them was such a lie. Healthy drinks didn't make people pass out right on the spot! At the thought, the freshman couldn't help but give an involuntary shudder. When he took a look from underneath his cap at Inui's face, he knew that something like that wouldn't prevent his senior from introducing everyone to the newest risk factor anyway. And introduce he did.

"Oh that's good, then," he said, sounding a bit more dejected at the fact that he'd have to wait until his newest juice was tasted. But the knowledge that one of them _had_ to drink it sooner or later kept his spirits up. The way he first tested his experiment was letting mice drink it. Pet mice. Usually, he bought a cage full of the rodents, and after isolating one and separating it in a cage of its own, he would fill the drinking bottle full of his experiment instead of water. Of course, if the mouse died, then the experiment was no good. If the mouse passed out but suffered from other effects a few days afterward, then the experiment was also no good. If the mouse passed out with no harm done, then the experiment was good enough, though he kept the mouse to see if there were any really long term effects.

Yet, after a long enough time, he would release the mouse into the wild. The data player wasn't quite fond of using his test animals more than once, with the exception of the members of his tennis team. This experiment had actually had not caused the mouse to pass out, but because the boy was so excited about that, he had let the mouse free afterward without any further study. Only a few minutes after the creature was released, the poor thing died, yet this detail remains unknown to the creator, and because of this, serious repercussions may arise… not like Inui knew, though. With a dramatic sweep of his free hand, he reached behind his back. "But even so, I don't see the trouble of introducing the punishment beforehand~! Perhaps it will be an encouragement for you all to do your best. This…!"

He pulled out a glass filled with the horrid looking liquid from seemingly out of nowhere. The contents of the glass was thick, and it was the color of dark purple mixed with black. It bubbled at the top and one particularly large one rose from the glass and popped, though the particles that had created the bubble dropped back into the glass with a _plop!_ "…This is my newest invention! The Inui Juice Remix Deluxe Version 301! It's _healthy_ for you~! Is there anyone that would like to try it?" he asked at the end of his explanation. The odds were low that anyone would drink it at the moment, but Inui took chances. Each group member stared at the abomination for a moment, some of them holding back from gagging, and after, practically all of them looked towards Fuji Syuusuke.

The tensai was the one that survived most of the data players drinks and actually seemed to enjoy them, even recommending them at times. They all wondered how the smiley eyed boy was able to manage it, but a lot of them passed it off as "because he's a tensai" or because he was used to tasting odd things like that, especially since whenever going to the Kawamura Sushi Restaurant, the smiling one order wasabi sushi. Knowing that everyone's gaze had turned to him, he slightly tilted his head to the side.

"Saa, it looks quite delicious, but I'm afraid I'll pass." His usual smile on his face grew a little. "I'd like to see someone try it first." Practically everyone gulped, remembering the time when they had asked Fuji why he tried so hard one time during a run where the penalty for passing the time limit or coming in last had the penalty of drinking one of Inui's so called health drinks. The boy had _fun_ seeing the reactions of the others towards the drinks. Not only was he a danger on the courts, but he was quite the danger outside of them as well. The boy was definitely a sadist. Looking back to the data player, everyone else shook their heads except for the buchou who had his arms stiffly crossed and was looking straight at Inui with the same expression on his face as always. Inui noticed this and raised the glass in Tezuka's direction.

"How about it, Tezuka? Aren't you curious as to what it tastes like?" the manager asked in a challenging manner of sorts.

"Inui." The tone was stern and contained a hint of annoyance and impatience. "Get on with the explanation." The data player sighed and the glass disappeared behind his back as he placed it on the table next to a pitcher filled with his newest drink and among a stack of small, paper cups. Lifting up the green notebook once more, he continued with his explanation.

"Ah, of course," he all but grumbled, a bit disappointed that the bespectacled brunette had turned down his challenge. There was a low percentage that the other would have taken it either, because even though the buchou didn't show it in his expressions, Inui knew that he was also quite fearful of the juices. He knew that Tezuka was also not one in a position to drink said juices since he always went full out during these conditioning practices, but the data player had his ways to make Tezuka try them, whether those ways were fair play or not. "So anyways…"

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It had already been fifteen minutes since the start of conditioning practice, and so far, no one had fallen victim to Inui's juice… yet. After those first minutes, conditioning had changed to working on volleying. More specifically, each player was to play at the net and someone at the base line was to hit the tennis ball towards the corners. Not only must the one at the net reach and hit the tennis ball back, but they must also aim towards one of the cones marked with a certain color that the one at the base line calls out. The volleying player loses if a ball passes him or if he misses hitting the correct colored cone. The baseliner loses if the ball he hits goes out, doesn't make it past the net, or if he doesn't notice that the volleying player didn't hit the right cone. The ones up to demonstrate were Tezuka Kunimitsu at the net to volley and Fuji Syuusuke at the baseline to feed the balls.

Leaning down to Ryoma's height, Momoshiro whispered, "I have a feeling this is gonna get heated really quickly. I can feel it, I can." Ryoma just "hn'ed" and pushed his cap up, a smirk on his face as he watched the two best on the team walk onto the court. Things were finally going to get interesting.

"Nya, you said it!" The acrobatic player whispered excitedly, overhearing what the spiky haired junior had said. "Just look at those two! They may not show it, but they're pumped up!" he continued, wrapping his arms around Ryoma's neck in a hug that resembled more of a headlock. Ryoma's smirk turned into a frown.

"Kikumaru-sempai… get off…" The redhead's grip just grew tighter as he continued to watch with wide eyes as the demonstration finally started. Ryoma made an annoyed sound but had turned his attention to the demonstration as well.

"Saa, are you ready, Tezuka?" Fuji asked, his usual closed eyes smile on his face. Tezuka "hn'ed" in confirmation like their freshman player had almost just done a few moments ago. The tensai then opened his eyes, revealing startling blue icy orbs, his smile disappearing from his expression. He was now serious. "Here I go." Holding out a tennis ball in front of him, he let it drop and hit it with his racket to the left corner. "Red," he called out as his racket strings came into contact with the ball. The tensai automatically reached for another tennis ball behind him from the crate, though watching as Tezuka easily reached that ball he had hit and hit it towards the correct cone. Once the tennis ball clunked against the cone, Fuji hit a new tennis ball to the other corner, calling out, "Yellow," as he did so. This continued, and even though it looked simple enough, it took the utmost concentration of both players. All eyes were on the both of them. All eyes… except for the one that come up with this training in the first place.

Inui Sadaharu had snuck away from the group and filled a normal looking water bottle with his latest concoction. He chuckled evilly to himself, and after the water bottle felt it had the right weight, he went to put his idea into action. Everyone was inside the tennis courts, watching the demonstration with so much focus that it was easy for him to sneak in and out. Heading towards the tennis bag that he knew was Tezuka's, he quickly opened it up and took out the water bottle inside. _'Good,'_ he thought as he compared their weights. _'Around the same. There is an 11% chance that Tezuka would notice such a small detail!'_ He kept himself from chuckling any further, else he might be found out, and he quickly placed the water bottle filled with his Inui Juice Remix Deluxe Version 301 inside his buchou's bag exactly how he had found the water bottle filled with normal water. Quickly closing the bag, he quickly left to dispose of the evidence which was Tezuka's _actual_ water bottle, and afterwards, he came back into the courts and resumed watching the very long demonstration that Fuji and his victim had been giving. No one noticed a thing. Also, when the data player had come back, it had been at the right time. Fuji was down to the last tennis ball.

"Purple." Tezuka returned the ball into the court, but it hit none of the cones. Some of the onlookers gasped. "Saa, does this mean I win?" the tensai asked innocently, his eyes closed once more, the smile back on his face.

"Fuji." Tezuka stood straight. "There isn't a cone marked purple." This explanation caused the tensai to chuckle and caused a lot of the crowd that hadn't noticed that fact to sweat drop.

"True. Well, it looks like I still can't beat you, but it looks like neither of us loses either. That was a good match."

"Ah." Fuji walked up to the net and shook hands with Tezuka, and the two made their way back to the others. When they were in range, Ryoma lowered his cap over his eyes once more and smirked.

"Mada mada dane, Fuji-sem--"

"FUJIKOOOO, YOU SCARED ME, NYA!" The acrobatic player yelled in the freshman's ear and started jumping up and down with energy, practically choking the poor boy in the process.

"K-Kikumaru-semapi… can't breathe…" said boy choked out.

"Eiji!" The mother of the group exclaimed worriedly, trying to break the freshman loose of his doubles partner's grasp. "EIJI!"

"Unyaaa, gomena, Ochibi-chan!" Finally, the redhead released the shortest member on the regular team and had stopped jumping. Scratching the back of his head and sticking out his tongue, he gave a cheesy smile. Ryoma grunted in response and sorted out the wrinkles in his uniform that had formed when the cat like acrobatic player had unknowingly choked him.

"Che… Just watch it next ti--" Suddenly, _another_ arm had wrapped around his neck, this time from the spiky haired junior, but instead of jumping around like the last person, the guy had flipped off his hat and started ruffling his hair, laughing merrily. "Aww, come on, Echizen! You know he didn't mean it! Lighten up!" he teased. The freshman practically growled.

"Momo-sempai! Itai!" Kawamura scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Ano… Momo, I think you should stop now."

"Fsssh, baka." That made the other junior stop and glare. Giving Ryoma one last noogie and releasing him, the aggressive baseline player strode over to Kaidoh and stopped only a few feet away.

"What was that, Mamushi?"

"Fsssh, you heard me."

"Wanna fight?"

"Fsssh!" The two looked like they were about to pounce on each other and tear each other apart, but the sound of something hitting the floor along with a slight choking noise had caught their attention, along with the attention of everyone else. All heads turned towards their buchou's direction, and they were surprised to see him clenching the front of his shirt, his usual cold expression gone, replaced with one that was suffering from great pain. Everyone went into silent shock for a moment, but after they had gotten over it, they ran towards their most respected teammate.

"TEZUKA!!" The bespectacled brunette had sunken to the floor onto his knees, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He gasped for breath, trying to allow oxygen into his lungs, but his whole chest area felt restricted. It wasn't like anything he had felt before. He had known what it was like when there was little oxygen to breathe, especially since he was one that went mountain climbing whenever there was time. There was time to get used to the lack of oxygen, but this, it felt like his lungs had completely collapsed on him. And it was definitely not something to get used to. And his body… his _skin_ felt like it was on fire. He shut his eyes tightly, and he clenched his mouth closed, preventing himself from screaming out from the agony. Not even when he had injured his shoulder, that he had felt such pain.

The others watched in horror and disbelief as their buchou went down on his knees. They felt frozen to the spot, not sure if they could do anything to help their friend. Ooishi Shuichirou's hand twitched, but that was all it did. _'Move…'_ Ooishi shut his eyes tightly. He didn't know what was going on, what was happening to Tezuka, but they were almost at Nationals! _'My cell phone… he needs help… but… why can't I move…!?'_ He felt the tears stat to well up in the corners of his eyes. _'Whenever he needs me, why am I so useless…?'_

Momoshiro Takeshi stared with his wide, violet eyes at the scene before him. Remembering that the only other time that his buchou had gone down on his knees was at Kantou when he had faced off against the 'Monkey King', as Echizen called him. But even then, he wasn't able to do anything. And he knew that now, it was the same thing, except Tezuka looked like he was _dying_. _'Buchou…'_ He looked over towards Kaidoh Kaoru, the one he had been starting to get into a fight with, and the one that he constantly did fight with. The other looked back at him, and he swore he could see a hint of an apology within that look. They turned their gaze back to their senior, hoping that he would pull through like he did against Hyoutei's buchou.

Kawamura Takashi was having flashbacks, since he was also petrified at the scene that was beginning to unfold. He was half watching, half remembering all the times that everyone had had together where Tezuka was present. Even though their buchou hadn't really talked much any of those times and his expression never changed, the young sushi chef in training could feel Tezuka's mood. He didn't know if the others felt it, too, but he did. He knew that the other cared and was thankful for his team more than he actually let on. The power player hoped that the last time they had spent their time together wouldn't actually be their last time with Tezuka… ever.

Kikumaru Eiji's body had starting shaking tremendously. He rubbed his eyes, hoping that maybe what he was seeing was just an illusion! It had to be! Tezuka-buchou… he couldn't be… The acrobatic player kept rubbing his eyes, looked for a brief moment what was happening, and then went back to rubbing his eyes, hoping that everything that he was seeing was just a dream. There was just no way that Tezuka buchou would… would…! "O-Ooishi…" he called weakly, tears starting to stream down his cheeks. His knees grew weak, and they buckled, and he too fell onto his knees. "M-make it stop… Ooishi…"

Echizen Ryoma had left his hat that had fallen to the floor. His golden eyes had started to blank out as the scene unfolded before him. The one that he had respected the most was in pain. And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He didn't know what the heck was happening. Ever since he had first caught sight of Tezuka, there was something within him that stirred. Like every other tennis player he came across, he possessed that feeling of wanting to show them what he was made of, and that they shouldn't take him lightly. But when Tezuka looked at him… there was something else. He had the feeling that the buchou _knew_ that he was a person that wasn't to be underestimated, and with that look, his senior had his respect right from the get-go.

Tezuka had guided him that even if he lost a match, he should never give up and use that anger and disappointment within him to make him stronger. He had been there to guide him when his good-for-nothing father had seemed to stop _helping_ him grow stronger. Tezuka had helped him. Now was the time that he paid the other back, and he was _not_ just going to become Seigaku's pillar of support. He was going to become _Tezuka's_ pillar of support, whether the other wanted it or not. Roughly snapping out of his thoughts, he was the first one able to break away from the scene, and as he looked around, noticed the water bottle that was the thing that had made the first noise and caught everyone's attention. Slowly walking over to it, he picked it up, and as he did so, he noticed that dripping from the open tip was the purple and black thick substance that he identified as Inui's new abomination. His grip on the water bottle tightened and his eyes narrowed as they were directed towards the data player. What made the freshman's blood boil was that even though their buchou was in so much pain, the one that was most likely the reason that Tezuka was hurt so badly was scribbling in that damn green notebook of his.

The tensai of the team had his icy blue eyes open once more, though his was one of anger more than surprise. He had put two and two together quickly, and he already knew what was going on. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, trembling slightly from the rage. His nails dug into his palms painfully, but it was nothing compared to what Tezuka was going through at that exact moment. Whipping himself around, he directed his glare to the one that was the cause of it all. _'Inui.'_

He walked briskly towards said male, that was only half paying attention to what was happening. The other half was probably trying to figure out how his precious experiment had gone wrong. But that wasn't the point. And that made Fuji even more furious than it was. And when Fuji is furious, _people get hurt._ The tensai had thoughts of his own. He too remembered the first time he had seen Tezuka. He remembered when he asked for that match against Tezuka. He remembered when he had _beaten_ Tezuka 6-0 because the boy's arm was _injured_. He had wanted to punch the other then and there. And as time passed by, they were finally able to have that match the Fuji both wanted yet feared. As things turned out, Tezuka was the better player, and Fuji had changed after that match.

He wasn't scared of change, any _other_ kind of change, but a change within _himself_ was much different. But he accepted it, and as time continued further, he was glad for that change. That was his first experience in a match that he actually wanted to win. And now… and now, he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to have a rematch against his one true rival. He wasn't sure if he'd find that thrill again and that adrenaline rush and that drive to _win._ And it was all because of… _him._ Fuji stopped in front of their manager. The scribbling of the boy stopped, noticing that someone was now blocking his view, and he looked up to meet the angry eyes of the tensai. Said tensai quickly swiped the notebook from the other's grasp and threw it to the side, never losing eye contact with the data player even through the thick lenses of his glasses. _"What did you __**do**__?"_ he demanded, tone leaking with venom.

Inui had stopped himself from grinning as Tezuka had wandered away from the group in order to take a drink from his water bottle… or at least, what Tezuka _thought_ to be his water bottle. The buchou had acted exactly according to what he had predicted. He had practically almost leapt for joy after the other bespectacled team member had taken the first sip, but that joy had turned into confusion, and then into absolute shock and worry after he realized Tezuka's negative reactions to the juice.

All the other times that his human subjects had tasted his juice, sure, they would have a pained expression on their faces, but it was only because of the taste. Other times, they would pass out, but then they would be completely fine afterwards. This reaction from Tezuka was different than all the rest, and as the others were distracted with what was happening, he had quickly whipped out his notebook and started flipping through the pages. He never had a reaction like that with his animal subjects as well, but what he noted was that Tezuka's reaction was _completely_ different than the reaction that the mouse he experimented on had. He looked through the formula, his eyebrows knitting in concentration as he tried to figure out if he did anything wrong when maybe recreating his drink. He found nothing. He looked through his observations… _'No… he shouldn't be having a reaction like this. There was a 37% chance that he would react to the taste, but this reaction… this is illogical!'_ …and he found them to be very short and vague. Inui Sadaharu then realized that he hadn't looked at the long term effects of his creation, and now that he realized this, it was costing him, or more so, costing Tezuka.

_'Dammit! This is bad…'_ Flipping to a fresh page in his notebook, he took out a pen and started jotting away all the reactions that Tezuka was making, observing everything thoroughly. Perhaps if he looked at what those reactions were, he would be able to determine the source of his error, and therefore, be able to create something that could cure Tezuka of the pain he was feeling. It was when other motion caught his eye that he looked up from his book and found himself looking down at a pair a glowing blue eyes that made him feel small, even though the one in front of him was at least a head shorter than him or so. Hearing the question that was more of a demand, along with the tone in the other's voice, he stepped back lightly as his notebook was taken away from him. He began to speak, his mind a rush of jumbled words, clearly affecting his speech as well.

"I-he-I mean-" By that time, everyone had turned their direction towards _him_, and he gulped and took a few more steps back. They were all glaring, even the ones that had started to cry. After taking a few steps back, he held up his hands in defense and stuttered out a small, "I-I can explain…!" even though, he knew that he really couldn't. Looking over Fuji's shoulder and at Tezuka, he noticed something different. A change. But… but it couldn't be…! Tezuka skin had started to give off steam. Inui's eyes widened behind his glasses, and everyone seemed to notice, for they all turned back to look at Tezuka once more. Inui could have taken his chance to escape right then and there, but concern for his buchou had prevented him from doing so.

Even though he was the cause of all this trouble, and he didn't deny it, he would be responsible for the damages. Tezuka probably wouldn't have continued to let Inui make these juices to give out as punishment if the brunette didn't trust him. And the data player had just went back on that trust. And now, a feeling of guilt was washing over him. Tezuka didn't trust many people. With a newfound determination, he ran toward the pained figure, but the amount steam that had from emitted from the boy's skin had increased tenfold, completely engulfing boy's body. He could no longer be seen.

"Tezuka!!" As a strong wind blew their way, everyone started coughing, and after the smoke had cleared, they looked towards where the boy was… or _once_ was. All that was left as evidence that someone was even at that spot in the first place were the lump of clothes that the buchou had been once wearing. A feeling of loss struck the group. Simultaneously, everyone bowed their heads down. They didn't know what happened, but whatever it was, they had lost their most respected member…

"A-ano…" They turned to the direction of the stutter and caught site of the freshman girl with long hair neatly tied into two braids. She was holding a cell phone in one hand, and she looked down nervously. "O-Obaa-chan is on the phone w-wondering how p-practice is going…" she stuttered looking up and catching site of a pile of clothes behind everybody, and a young boy sitting among it. "Eh…? Who's that…?" she wondered aloud. The group once again looked towards where Ryuuzaki Sakuno was staring, and there was a collective gasp. There really _was_ someone there. Pale, creamy skin. Honey colored messy hair with a part on the right side. Big, innocent chocolate colored eyes. And in front of those eyes… Tezuka's glasses.

The young boy looked at all of them slowly. "A-ano…" he stuttered similarly like the girl that had just arrived. He looked no older than an elementary school student. "Who… are you?" He looked down, only the bottom half of his body was covered with clothes that he believed weren't his own. His face turned a bright shade of pink. "Wh-where are my clothes…?"

"_Sakuno? Are you there? Oi!! Is everything alright over there!? [A sneeze.]"_

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**Author: And that was how all this drama started. XD Pretty dramatic considering that the only thing that I wanted accomplished in this chapter was Tezuka turning small. XD Oh well! Please read and review! I know there are a hell of a lot of useless information in there, but I thought it would be great to make things long and dramatic… and a lot of describing words… I know that some parts don't make sense, and there are probably so many spelling errors and stuff! But everyone makes those kinds of mistakes, so try not to pay them much attention! Hope you all enjoy! Be ready for the next chapter!… whenever that will be! XD**


	2. Crushing

**Author: Ah! Thank you for the reviews! I just posted it up earlier today, [whenever today is really, since this may take a while to really write and I might not even post it up on the day I write it due to editing even though I will probably overlook errors anyway] and after getting two reviews, I'm going to continue my story. After looking at the first chapter, **

**I was like, "Oh shoot, this is gonna be hard to read," and well, thanks to one of the reviews, this proved that… it was hard to read. I get lost when paragraphs get smashed together like that, too, but because the page is wider when it's actually posted up on fan fiction, I didn't think it'd make much of a difference. But now I know better. So yeah! **

**So… hope you people all enjoy this next chapter! I'm not sure what's gonna be in it, and it'll probably not be as long as the first chapter [I didn't think it'd really be that long anyway], and uh, this is a bit too long, so I guess I have to start now, huh? XD;**

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Over in her house, Ryuuzaki Sumire sniffled as she looked out the window, holding the phone to her ear. She hadn't gone to school to supervise the Seishun Gakuen tennis team that day because she was sick with a small cold. But at the moment, she felt like getting in her van and going the fifteen minute drive there. Her granddaughter had yet to inform her of how the team was holding up, and there seemed to be a commotion going on. What worried her most, though, was that over the phone, she was unable to hear the sound of tennis balls and tennis rackets. Not at all. Everything was oddly silent, and silence was only normal when there was disaster.

"Sakuno! Oi! Sakuno! Are you there?" The old woman sighed and hung up the phone. There was no answer on the other end anyway. Frowning, she placed it on the receiver and thought about how one day, she'd worry so much about the team that it'd kill her. Or at least, right now, about how she already had enough wrinkles and frowning would just cause her to have more of them. But what could have happened this time? Putting on her jacket, she grabbed her van keys and a box of tissues on the way out the door and hastily drove towards the school to where nothing but trouble awaited her.

---

Inui's eye twitched behind his crooked glasses as he looked at the young boy. The boy resembled Tezuka so much… but… _'This… this is… impossible…!'_ his mind screamed at him as he continued to stare. He massaged his temples with one hand and righted his glasses with the other. Clearing his throat, he approached the boy and crouched down so that the two of them were eye level. Right when he was about to speak, he was roughly pushed, and he fell onto his side.

"UNYAAA~!! TEZUKAA~!!" The acrobatic player wrapped his arms around the blushing boy and effectively glomped the poor confused one. The yelp of surprise that emitted from the now smallest one of the group didn't help his position. "Kawaii nyaa~ And you're smaller than Ochibi, now! How about I call you… Chibi-Ochibi!!" the redhead exclaimed, still squishing the other in a death grip.

"C-could you please let go…? I-I can't breathe…" the young Tezuka managed to choke out. Everyone else suddenly was snapped out of their confused dazed and seemed to snap to life, following Kikumaru's lead.

"Eiji!" the mother of Seigaku reprimanded once more, trying to pull the acrobatic player from the young bespectacled boy. Fuji tried to stifle his laughter with his hand and was able to manage it to a small chuckle. Kawamura let out a sigh of relief and chuckled as well, albeit shyly, as he scratched the back of his head. Momoshiro was so glad of the new turn of events that their buchou was alive and well [yet different, but that was okay] that he actually turned to the closest person next to him and gave whoever a huge hug. The other person hugged just as tightly back.

When the two people looked to see who they were hugging, they immediately let go and crossed their arms in a huff. Momoshiro not quite believing he had just hugged Kaidoh Kaoru. And Kaidoh not quite believing that he had just hugged Momoshiro. But the both of them were too embarrassed at the moment to start arguing with each other. Ryoma sighed in relief and grinned, moving his hand to pull his cap down over his face but realized that it wasn't there, so he just pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. Sakuno stood there and blinked in confusion, not realizing that her grip on the cell phone had loosened. She only realized it when it clattered to the floor.

"A-ah!" She quickly went down to pick it up after diverting her attention from the young boy that now had everyone's attention. But instead of checking to see if the cell phone was broken or if her grandmother was still on the line, she had closed it instead and slowly raised her attention back to the boy, a slow blush making its way up to her cheeks. She fiddled with the cell phone in her hands for a moment and looked down with a small gasp, her cheeks turning even redder, as the boy grabbed hold of the clothes that was covering his lower body that had started to slip.

Finally able to manage prying his energetic doubles partner to release the young Tezuka, Ooishi sighed in relief while Kikumaru continued to coo over the boy. "But Ooishi~! He's just so cute! And small! And cute!" the redhead continued to repeat, bounding over to the team's star freshman and hugging _him_ since he was unable to hug the other. "Isn't that right, Ochibi?" he asked, nuzzling the top the young prodigy's head with his cheek. Ryoma just sighed and looked towards the young Tezuka… and couldn't help but inwardly agree. He'd never admit it out loud though.

Inui sighed and stood up, brushing himself off of any dust or dirt that might have gotten on him when he was pushed to the side. Looking around, he spotted his green notebook a few feet away from him. After walking over to it, he was about to pick it up, but then someone beat him to it. Straightening, he frowned and found himself looking into the smiling face of the tensai once more. Though just because said tensai was smiling on the outside, it didn't mean that he wasn't thinking about anything devious. It could be just the opposite actually. The data player still wasn't out of the loop yet, and he had only escaped death by a margin. Now anything he did probably wouldn't be trusted with what might have happened with their buchou.

"Ah… Fuji…" he addressed the other, shakily holding out his hand to take his notebook back. "I admit that I should have been more careful, and I promise that I will be next time… but now I need it back in order to figure out a cure--"

"Awwwww, do we have to turn him back nya?" the acrobatic player asked seemingly from out of nowhere. He popped up from behind Fuji and walked over towards the young Tezuka once more. The mother hen of the group frowned at the redhead to warn him not to hug [choke, more so] the small boy, and the other complied. Instead, he squatted next to the boy and continued, "I mean, just look at him! He seems like a lot more fun than old, mean Tezuka!" He pinched the boy's cheek affectionately, causing the boy to close one eye.

"Eiji!" Ooishi cried out once more in exasperation. How many more times would he be calling his doubles partner's name? Kikumaru frowned and let go of the young Tezuka's cheek and stood up, turning around and resting his arms behind his head. He pouted as he looked back over his shoulder at the rest of the group.

"But it's true nya." Fuji chuckled at the childish one's antics but quickly turned his attention back to Inui. He opened his eyes and frowned as he handed the notebook back to its owner.

The data player nodded, graciously accepting the notebook and let out a small "thank you" as he opened it to the page that he had been writing in before his precious item had been taken away from him. Inui didn't need for the tensai to word his threat aloud. It could be read clearly in the boy's glare. _You better keep your word, or there will be Hell to pay._ He shuddered involuntarily and turned to walk back to the rest of the group. Fuji closed his eyes and smiled once more, quickly following after him. When they reached everyone, Momoshiro and Kaidoh were still not facing or speaking to each other, and Ooishi was now crouched in front of the young Tezuka.

"Ah, sorry about all of that," he apologized nervously. "This group is kind of rowdy… but anyways! Let's see… to answer your questions! Um…" The fukubuchou looked around the group, wondering if anyone was going to help him in the explanation. Sighing as he saw that he was not going to have any assistance, he turned back to the boy and continued, "I'm Ooishi Shuichirou, the fukubuchou of Seishun Gakuen's tennis team." Young Tezuka nodded in understanding, and the worrying one introduced everyone else as well. "Fuji Syuusuke, our tensai, Inui Sadaharu, our data player and manager, Kawamura Takashi, our power player, Kikumaru Eiji, our acrobatic player and also my doubles partner, Momoshiro Takeshi, our aggressive baseliner, Kaidoh Kaoru, a counter-puncher player such as myself, and lastly, Echizen Ryoma, our freshman prodigy. And we make up the Seigaku Regulars," he declared proudly, smiling. "Ah, but we are missing one other member… b-but that's okay," he stuttered.

"I see…" young Tezuka replied, looking from one person to the other. He then noticed the girl that seemed to be forgotten by everyone else. "And her…?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his gaze. Hearing the boy was talking about her, Sakuno lifted her head and the two locked eyes for a moment… before they both looked away blushing. The tennis players looked from the boy to the girl and back.

"A-ano… Watashi wa… R-Ryuuzaki S-Sakuno desu…" she said shyly, looking at the young boy from the corner of her eye. Young Tezuka did the same, and once again, their gaze met, and that resulted the same way as well.

"I-it's nice to meet you…"

"N-nn! S-same here!" The both of them heard a gasp coming from someone in the group, and they both looked up and spotted the redhead jumping up and down excitedly.

"Uwaaah! Tezukaa! I didn't know you had something for Sakuno-chan!" the acrobatic player whined. After he said this, Ryoma seemed to be a bit annoyed at that, and it showed clearly because of the scowl on his face. It was easily noticeable by everyone since the boy didn't have his usual cap on. But with Kikumaru noticing this, the energetic player couldn't help but comment. "Ooooh, you better watch out, Chibi-Ochibi! Ochibi seems to be getting pretty protective!" he laughed. Sakuno squeaked loudly and if possible, her face turned even more red than it already was. It was true that she had a crush on the freshman prodigy… but now she wasn't so sure.

"Eeeeh, is that true, Echizen? Mad that Buchou's stealing your girl, huh?" Momoshiro added as well, elbowing him in the side playfully. "And what's with that face~? It's true, isn't it~?" the spiky haired junior laughed. "You can't hide anything from me~! You just can't~!" Ryoma's scowl grew a little bit wider, and he stomped over towards the young Tezuka, with the seeming intent to hurt the now younger boy. Ooishi was about to make a move to hold the freshman back but found that he didn't need to as the prodigy just reached out and grasped the other boy's hand.

Everyone blinked in surprise as Ryoma's facial features had softened somewhat, and his tone of voice was somewhat kinder than usual. "Come on… I have an extra set of clothes you can wear. They'll probably be a little loose, but it's fine." The hint of a smile could be seen on Seigaku's star player's face, and it made most of his team members' jaws drops. Inui had gone back to scribbling viciously into his green notebook, and Fuji tilted his head with an all-too-knowing look on his face.

"A-ah," young Tezuka responded with a slight nod of his head as he was helped up by the boy now only slightly taller than him. Looking down, the small brunette decided that only taking the shirt to cover from the waist down was fine, and keeping hold of it in his free hand, he and Ryoma made their way to what he assumed to be the tennis club room. A little bit into the journey, the freshman prodigy had seen the boy give a light shudder as a cool breeze blew past, and releasing his hold on the other's hand, he instead placed it around their young buchou's shoulders.

"It's cold, neh?" the taller boy asked with a grin. The shorter one just nodded in reply. Noticing his hat placed on the floor, the freshman prodigy stopped, making the other boy stop as well, and quickly picked it up and pulled the rim over his eyes, placing his arm around the smaller boy's shoulders once more. As they continued their journey and passed Sakuno, Ryoma never looked up, but instead sent a small glare her way, the girl unaware. And the reason she was unaware was because she was too busy looking at the young Tezuka, and the boy didn't notice the glare as well, for he was looking back at the girl. They blushed lightly once more, but this time, the two hadn't looked away as quickly as before. Though, the shorter boy had to look away when the freshman had started quickening their pace towards the locker room, and he didn't wish to trip over the shirt he had to hold up.

Until her first crush and her new crush entered the locker room and closed the door behind them, Ryuuzaki Sakuno let out a small sigh and looked down at the floor. It was then that she gasped and almost dropped the cell phone once more. _'O-Obaa-chan!'_ she thought worriedly, starting to panic lightly. "Oh no! I must've accidentally hung up on her…!" Frantically fiddling around with the buttons on the phone, she mis-dialed around three times before finally dialing the proper number. "Oh no, oh no, oh no…" she mumbled aloud to herself.

Ooishi was glad that a fight hadn't occurred. He had been quite worried that Echizen was actually going to _hit_ their newly shrunken buchou, but he felt guilty for thinking of something like that. Though, when boys had their crushes at risk, he supposed that their natural instinct would be to fight for them… He shook his head and he rid himself of those thoughts. Everything was fine, and he didn't think the freshman would jump the younger one in the locker room, so he should stop worrying… But after thinking of that, the mother hen of the group couldn't help but take one more glance towards the direction of the locker room. His attention was brought away when he heard a light chuckle, though, from their tensai.

"I wouldn't worry about them if I were you," Fuji advised, words mixed through his chuckle. Everyone looked towards him in wonder and confusion.

"But Fujiko!" the acrobatic player started to explain, "Didn't you see that scowl on Ochibi-chan's face?" In order to make a point, the redhead placed his fingers at the corners of his eyes and stretched them so that his eyes became narrow, and he gave a big frown. But instead of looking like a scowl, it just looked ridiculous.

"Yeah, yeah! We have to be careful with that kid! We just have to!" Momoshiro agreed, nodding his head and crossing his arms over his chest. "It's so hard to figure out what he's thinking!" The tensai just shrugged. There was a mumble. "Oh? Speak up, Taka-san! What was that?" The sushi chef in training rubbed the back of his neck once more and chuckled nervously.

"O-oh… I was just wondering… didn't it look like he was nicer to Tezuka-buchou than to Sakuno…? Iiya… maybe it was just my imagination…" The smile on Fuji's face seemed to widen slightly. Momoshiro and Kikumaru put a hand to their chin and a hand on their hip.

"You have a point there, nya…"

"He has a point there. He does…"

"Fssh, you two shouldn't get into other peoples' business," Kaidoh said, finally able to speak up.

"What was that, Mamushi? Then maybe you should get out of _our_ business then!"

"Fssh, baka."

"What was that!? You wanna go!?"

"Fssh!"

"STOP!" Ooishi yelled, effectively silencing the two before a real brawl started. A small _clank_ was heard as Sakuno dropped her phone again, but no one really paid any attention to her. Sighing after that outburst, the fukubuchou continued. "All of you, there's no time for this! The Nationals are right around the corner, and somehow… well, our buchou will be unable to play if he stays the way he is. We need to get our act together and find some way to cure him…!" he finished. Whenever something troublesome like this happened, Ooishi was always the voice of reason. Yet, the motherly side of him…

He was relieved when murmurs of 'you're right' and 'yeah' reached his ears. That gave his confidence a boost, and standing up straight, he pumped his arm into the air. "Yoshi! Everyone, let's do our best! And even though he's incapable of leading and doesn't really know what's going on, let's work hard so that even if he _did_ know what was going on, we'd make him proud!" Placing his hand out in front of him, everyone walked over and placed one hand on top of his. "Saa, yudan sezuni ikou!"

"Ah!"

---

Seigaku's tennis coach sneezed many times in the car, a lot more than she had at home, and she was wondering if her cold was getting worse or if something really serious had happened at the tennis courts and that all the sneezing was a warning to be prepared for what she was going to find out. Little did she know that she was probably going to have the greatest shock of her life when she reached the group. Back at home, the phone rang a few times before the machine picked up the call and asked for whoever was dialing to leave a message after the beep.

_-BEEP_-

"_A-ano… O-Obaa-chan…? Obaa-chan, are you there? P-please a-answer the phone…"_

"_Fssh, you two shouldn't get into other peoples' business."_

"_What was that, Mamushi? Then maybe you should get out of our business then!"_

"_Fssh, baka."_

"_Eto… things aren't really… I mean--"_

"_What was that!? You wanna go!?"_

"_Fssh!"_

"_T-Tezuka-buchou…!!--"_

"_STOP!"_

"_Eep! [Clanking noise.] O-oh no! The phone!" [Shuffling noise.] "Oh no… O-Obaa-cha--"_

"_All of you, there's no time for this! The Nationals are right around the corner, and somehow… well, our buchou will be unable to play if he stays the way he is. We need to get our act together and find some way to cure him…!" [Distant mumbling.] "Yoshi! Everyone, let's do our best! And even though he's incapable of leading and doesn't really know what's going on, let's work hard so that even if he did know what was going on, we'd make him proud! Saa, yudan sezuni ikou!"_

"_Ah!"_

"_Obaa-chan! I think something really bad--"_

"_Thank you for your call."_

_-BEEP-_

There was only around three minutes more to go until she reached Seishun Gakuen, and she had a feeling of dread start to engulf her. Just three more minutes and she'd know what the heck was going on and preventing her team from practicing even though time was of the essence now. Just three more minutes… And now it was already too late, but she was starting to regret ever getting out of bed that morning.

---

This was not what he had wanted to happen. Ooishi sighed in defeat as he watched his teammates walk over to Echizen and the young Tezuka after the two of them had exited the club room. He thought his speech had worked, but they seemed to be fawning over the small buchou more than trying to figure out a way to help him. The poor boy. He was probably a wreck of nerves from all the attention… Sighing for the umpteenth time, the fukubuchou picked up the clothes that had been left behind, and after neatly folding them [his mother hen side was really starting to show again], he walked over to Tezuka's tennis bag and placed them inside. With that, he briskly walked towards the new location of the group. If they weren't going to listen to him…! Well, if you can't beat'em, join'em… as some say…

But as the kind, counter-puncher player passed Sakuno, he stopped and back tracked. "Oh…" His eyes widened, as if noticing her for the first time. "S-sumimasen!" he apologized to her after he had gotten her attention by walking up to her. "A-ah," he laughed nervously, "S-so, what was it that you needed help with…?" The girl just meekly held up her hands, revealing the cell phone. And then he remembered. "Oh no…" The girl just shook her head and tightly shut her eyes, hugging the cell phone to her chest.

"G-gomenasai… O-Ooishi-sempai…" The corners of her eyes had started to brim with tears. The fukubuchou fully went into mother hen mode. He waved his hands in front of him and shook his head. He wasn't mad at her, and now he felt absolutely _horrible_ for making a girl cry.

"I-iiya, iiya! It's not your fault! D-don't worry about it…" he said, trying to calm the girl down. Apparently, it didn't work, and the tears that had formed in her eyes fell down her cheeks like tiny streams.

"G-gomenasai… g-gomenasai…"

"Sakuno-chan…?" Ooishi blinked for a moment and moved to the side, surprised to see the small buchou standing only a little feet away from them, looking right at the crying girl. And the fukubuchou really looked at young Tezuka this time, the first time he really looked at the young boy after other had exited the locker/club room. He was wearing a white shirt with red sleeves that was a little big for him, and black shorts which seemed a little loose around his waist but tight enough to stay up. Those big, chocolate colored eyes shone with concern, but otherwise, his expression remained the same. "Sakuno-chan… daijoubu ka?"

Ooishi nearly made it as he jumped out of the way as the girl ran right past him and wrapped her arms around the boy's waist and buried her face into his shoulder. "Gomenasai… gomenasai…" she continued to apologize weakly through her sobs. Young Tezuka looked confused at first, but he too wrapped his arms around her, albeit a bit hesitantly. He even rubbed soothing circles along her back in order to try to calm her down.

"It's okay," the small buchou said softly. "Everything's going to be alright." His eyes were still filled with confusion and concern, but his actions had effectively done their jobs to calm the sobbing girl. She looked at him with wide, glistening eyes, her tears shining in the light.

"Y-you really mean it…?" she asked, a small smile forming on her face, her tone filled with much hope. And then what she saw surprised her, but she was truly happy to have been able to see it. He smiled. And the smile was for her. Sakuno felt her big heart flutter, and she smiled widely and embraced the young boy with a small giggle. She didn't know if her new crush liked her back, and she was sure that she was going to get her heart broken… but she would enjoy these small moments that the two of them shared, even though they had only really known each other for a short time. Having a crush on Tezuka when he's around her age was much better than having a crush on Ryoma-kun. She was sure of it. Ooishi was stunned from the smile as well. It had been so long since he had seen their buchou smile…

A scowl was on the freshman prodigy's face once more, especially when their small buchou had left his side to go see what was wrong over where the fukubuchou and the girl was. He had not wanted the other to leave his side, especially since it seemed like the boy had gained a soft spot for their coach's granddaughter. Ignoring the idiotic cat calls and teasing from his upperclassmen, he briskly walked towards the two hugging with all the intent of separating the two. He was _not_ going to have his crush lost to a… a _girl._

As Ryoma made his way over to the two, he could hear the excited whispers of Momoshiro and Kikumaru. Along the way, he saw his tennis bag aligned against the fence and knew how he would be able to at least capture the small buchou's attention without having to forcefully pull the two apart. Going over to it, he took out two tennis rackets and a tennis ball. Placing one underneath his arm while bouncing the ball with the other, he continued his journey towards the hugging duo.

The young Tezuka wasn't sure why the girl was crying, but whatever the reason, he was glad that he was able to make her smile. Though when he caught sight of movement behind her and heard a familiar sound, he slowly pulled away from her and saw the boy with the cap heading their way. Once the other reached them, he was offered a tennis racket, and he blinked. "Want to play?" the freshman prodigy asked.

The small buchou continued to stare at the racket, thoughts racing. The freshman ace was asking him to play. One of the regulars of Seishun Gakuen was asking him to play! He could feel his body acting on its own as he reached out and accepted the tennis racket. His eyes glinted with determination. "Yes." Ryoma smirked. The boy was taking the bait. Without saying another word, the freshman prodigy turned and walked towards the courts. Young Tezuka followed after him.

Sakuno missed the warmth of the boy when the other started to pull away. She looked towards Ryoma-kun for a moment and then back to the brunette. She blinked in surprise at the new expression that had come about his face. No… there wasn't a new expression there, but it was the boy's _eyes_ that seemed to portray what he was feeling at the moment. But as her first crush left, she knew that her second one would leave, too. And when he did just that, she looked down and fiddled with her hands, her good mood suddenly fell, and her lips formed into a frown.

"Do you want to watch, Sakuno-chan?" The pigtailed girl's eyes widened and she looked up to see that the brunette had stopped and was looking at her over his shoulder. She immediately brightened and she nodded with a sound of confirmation, running next to him, and the two entered the courts together. As Ryoma-kun and young Tezuka went to opposite sides of the net, Sakuno stayed at the side and watched.

"Hey, Eiji-sempai! Do you think they're duking out who gets the girl from a game of tennis?"

"Nya, Ochibi-chan against Chibi-Ochibi-chan! Who do you think is going to win?"

"Saa, who knows?"

"Fsssh."

"Ano… don't you think we should stop them…? What if someone gets hurt…?"

"Ii data. There was only a 1.8% chance that Tezuka would fall for a girl."

Ooishi had been in a thoughtful mood for a few moments, and wasn't able to voice an opinion. If he had been there, he probably would have been the one responsible enough to stop the upcoming match. And when he did snap out of his thoughts, a rally had already started between the two boys on the court and a row of onlookers watching from outside the tennis courts. His eyes widened. "O-oi!" Running inside the tennis courts, he stopped. "Echizen! Stop this match!" he shouted, worry clearly written on his face. Echizen was too into the game and didn't pay any attention to the fukubuchou. There would be nothing that could get through to him at the moment. The glint in the boy's eyes said as much. So that meant that he could only stop this match by reaching the other one…

Turning his head to the other player, he called out, "Tezuka!" A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Ooishi's face. _'Oh no…'_ he thought as he caught sight of the young Tezuka's eyes. His eyes mimicked the emotions that were portrayed in Echizen's. The fukubuchou knew then. _'There's no way to stop this match…'_

"OI! What's going on over here!? Mattaku…" Ooishi nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned towards the source of the voice. Besides the two rallying, everyone else had turned as well.

"Ryuuzaki-sensei!" The regular members exclaimed in unison.

"O-Obaa-chan!" the coach's granddaughter gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "Wh-what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here! You're still suffering from a cold…"

The old woman sighed. "I was worried when you didn't respond or call me back!" was the reply. Ryuuzaki Sumire placed her hands on her hips and turned her gaze towards the Regular members that were lined up in front of her. "Now what are you all doing just standing here? I can't be away for one day without you guys slacking off! I-- a…a-achoo!" She sneezed and continued, "I should be making you guys run 100 laps around the courts…" She had looked behind them at the two rallying. Her eyes widened.

"Tezuka…?" Everyone else seemed to stiffen, but she paid them no attention. She entered the courts and watched the two boys as the tennis ball was hit back and forth between them. They both used their left hands, and she wondered how long the two of them had been rallying. But she could tell, the both of them were having fun playing the game. She too knew that there was no stopping the rally until one of them couldn't hit the ball back… and then it happened.

The brunette lowered his racket by 3.2mm. Ryoma's eyes widened and made a wild dash forward as the ball was hit. He needed to reach it before it hit the ground! It had just made it past the net and had arced downward. A drop shot. _'Almost… there…!'_ But he had been only a few centimeters short. The ball hit the ground and had rolled back to the net. _'Zero-shiki… drop shot…'_ Even though he hadn't been able to return the shot, an excited smile was on his face. Even the Tezuka younger than him was able to pull off that shot.

Ryoma stood up straight, the light in his eyes reflecting the flame that was alighted within him. Young Tezuka stood as well, expressing the same look. "Neh, Tezuka-buchou." They stared right into each others' eyes.

"What is it, Echizen-kun?" Ryoma tilted his cap down, shielding his eyes but not the smile that had appeared on his face.

"Mada mada dane." Using his racket to reach out towards the ball at the net, Ryoma's eyes widened slightly from underneath his cap as a hand had picked up the ball before he picked it up himself. Tracing the hand up towards the owner, he frowned, tilting his hat back up. "Sensei…"

The small buchou blinked as an elderly woman stepped onto the court, wondering when she had arrived. But from the look on her face, she seemed to be really angry. He frowned as she walked over towards Echizen-kun, and he started to make his way over to the net. Even though it was the freshman prodigy that had asked if he wanted to play, he should have known that he wasn't supposed to. But the call for a match had been great, and he could tell that Echizen-kun was a great opponent.

Though even young, Tezuka was responsible for his actions, and he wouldn't allow Echizen-kun to take all the blame when he was part of the trouble. "Excuse me…" Both turned their heads to look at him. Facing the elderly woman, he bowed low. He blinked for a moment as his glasses slipped off his nose, them being too big. Quickly picking them up and straightening, placing them back on, he looked up at who he assumed to be the coach. "I apologize for the trouble. I was the one that asked him for a match." It was a lie, but he didn't really want Echizen-kun to get into trouble.

The both of them were surprised at the confession. Ryuuzaki crossed her arms and looked down at him with searching eyes. She had remembered when Tezuka had first entered into Seigaku and had joined the tennis team. Just like Echizen, he had showed a lot of potential and used his right hand to play tennis instead of the hand of he was dominant in using, but even though Echizen caused a lot of trouble, it was pretty harmless trouble. Though, when Tezuka got into trouble… it had cost him. But the coach still couldn't be too sure who was at fault.

She looked over towards Echizen for confirmation, but all she received was a shrug. Sighing once more, she uncrossed her arms and patted the two boys on the head. "I'll let you two off this time, but don't let me catch you again."

"Hai…"

"Now, come with me. There's a lot of explaining to be done."

"Ahn? Seigaku slacking off? If that's the case, Hyoutei will have no problem crushing you in the Nationals." All heads turned in the direction of the new voice.

"A-Atobe!?"

* * *

**Author: YES!! Finally, Atobe comes in. I've been waiting for this! Yeah. That's all I wanted in this chapter. That's it. I know, I wonder why it takes so long to make characters appear, too. I wanted to end it with Ryuuzaki-sensei coming in, but it seemed a little bit too short there, so I decided to just wait until Atobe comes in. Because well… yeah.**

**And I wanted Atobe to add, "Nah, Kabaji?" "Usu," at the end, but well… you'll see why Kabaji wouldn't be there. Not really a good reason, but whatever. XD; And yes, THIS IS AN ATOBEXTEZUKA AND NOT AN ECHIZENXTEZUKA OR TEZUKAXSAKUNO. Even though, I just figured out that TezukaxSakuno can be really cute from typing this chapter out. But Imperial Pair will forever be my favorite pairing. XD**

**I know I had more to say in the end as an author's note, but I totally forgot what those things are… Let's see… Oh yeah. This chapter was a bit less better than I wanted it to be, so if things start moving on really quickly or if there are parts that are hard to understand, then I apologize. I tried making things easier to read, but there still might be parts that may be really long and hard to read. I apologize for that, too!**

**Sorry for taking so long to update, though! I had trouble concentrating, and I've been distracted for a few days and stuff. I type better in the mornings. XD Please read and review!**


	3. Hyoutei

**Author: Okay, so I know that I keep updating and putting it off, and editing and stuff, and I'm sorry for that. I only read what I typed only **_**after**_** I post it up, and then I see all these mistakes, and them I'm all like, "Shoot, okay, I gotta fix that." And yeah, so sorry if you guys get annoyed because of that. XD;**

**And this is just gonna be an AtobeTezuka. Sorry for all you EchizenTezuka fans. XD; But yeah, it's kind of hard **_**not**_** liking Chibi!Tezuka. Oh yeah… I need to include a warning for this chapter.**

**Warning:**

**-Molestation**

**What's funny is that it's not going to be by Atobe. XD I was wondering if I should make it rated M because of that or not, but I'm not sure. XD Okay, I don't know what else to put here, so I guess… on to the fic!**

* * *

"Who else were you expecting? Ahn?" The one and only Atobe Keigo strolled toward the Seishun Gakuen members. Gracefully brushing away his silver colored hair from his gray blue eyes, the King of Hyoutei placed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head slightly back, looking at each of the figures in front of him with a careful eye, a smirk playing on his features. Many frowned and looked away from the gaze while others accepted the challenge and stared back. Tezuka was just plain clueless.

"What's _he_ doing here, nya…?" the red haired acrobatic player mumbled as he looked away, not expecting anyone to pay attention to his question. The tone of loathing was hinted in the way the question was asked, but there was good reason. "Hasn't Tezuka-buchou been through enough already…?" A lot of the members of Seigaku's tennis team still had ill feelings towards the narcissist because of what went on during the Kantou tournament, though some had forgiven the male for what he had done. But Atobe had never apologized for what he had done either, or at least, that was the case for the other Regulars that weren't Tezuka.

Atobe's smirk never left his expression, but he felt a deep stab of guilt from that comment. The silver haired male hid his inner emotions quite well, but unlike when Tezuka did, Atobe displayed a show of confidence and arrogance to cover it up. Only those close enough, the Regulars of Hyoutei plus Taki, knew of his inner struggles. And even though he liked showing off and bragging, at least he had the skill to back up his words, unlike some others that were all talk and no show.

Atobe never apologized because there was no need to. He reasoned that it was actually _better_ that Tezuka's arm had been injured right then and there in that match. The reasons in the beginning were selfish, he knew, and he was guilty for that, but afterward, the silver haired male was able to reason out why he didn't _need_ to apologize, especially since apologizing was just something he didn't do. The reasoning that he came up with was that it was better that Tezuka's arm broke sooner than later when it was more important.

No, he hadn't been expecting his second year ace to lose that match, but the sooner or later thing didn't just apply to the Nationals. Like everyone else, the narcissist expected Seigaku's buchou to work up to turn pro. And anyways, after that match, Kantoku refused to let someone with such potential in the tennis world to just disappear from an injury. So he had given Seishun Gakuen's coach a brochure of a rehabilitation institute in Germany, one of the best that was especially put up for tennis players with tennis related injuries. So it was better, right?

Yet, even if everyone had forgiven him, including Tezuka, Atobe still wouldn't be able to fully forgive himself for what he had done. What's more, he couldn't even ask Tezuka if he had been forgiven. The other still didn't like bringing up that match. And the silver haired male didn't like bringing up that match either. But no matter how many more tennis matches he would go through, it would be _that match_ that will forever be labeled as _'the best match'._ And no matter how many more opponents he would crush, it would be _Tezuka_ that will be forever labeled as _'his ultimate rival'._

"You want to know why Ore-sama has graced you all with his presence?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He sighed and lifted his hands out of his pockets in a shrug as if the mere thought of explaining was tiring. Placing his hands back in his pockets, he continued, "Ore-sama supposes he will grace you all with an answer." He cleared his throat. "I have come here to speak with Tezuka about our next rendezvous between Hyoutei's and Seigaku's tennis teams for a practice match." Those lined up in front of him looked disbelieving. "Ahn? You think Ore-sama is lying?"

"Oi! You guys, be courteous to our visitor! Mattaku… what a rude bunch." Everyone's heads turned as Ryuuzaki-sensei stepped out of the tennis courts. "Pay them no mind," she said casually, waving a hand in there direction. "They're still sore about what happened." Everyone knew what she was talking about. Atobe just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I didn't notice." His tone was sarcastic. Shaking his head lightly, he resumed business. "Anyways, you're just as well someone to talk to as well as Tezuka, but…" He looked around, trying to spot the bespectacled brunette, "I would like to have him present as well. For another opinion," he added hastily at the end. All he really wanted was to have Tezuka in his presence. Ooishi decided to finally speak out.

"W-well," he stuttered a bit at first. Then he continued, "H-he's kind of… um… what I mean to say is…"

"What happened to Tezuka," the silver haired male demanded, crossing his arms over his chest, the look in his eyes hardening. He didn't show it, but he was concerned about the said figure's wellbeing. It would not do to have his ultimate rival not in his best condition.

"Did someone call me…?" Atobe's eyebrows shot up from surprise as a smaller version of Tezuka appeared from behind the old woman with the freshman brat by his side, and took a few steps forward, looking at him with large brown eyes. Hyoutei's buchou was only surprised for a brief moment before fully composing himself. Looking towards the _normal_ Regular tennis members, the silver haired male sighed before facing the small boy once more.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Atobe was no idiot. There was no mistaking that the boy was Tezuka Kunimitsu. The same colored hair. And even though they were a bit larger than he remembered, the same eyes. He had remembered catching a glimpse of the same boy a year ago at the Kantou tournament. Besides, the narcissist knew that Tezuka didn't have any siblings or cousins living nearby. So that meant that somehow, someway, the boy's teammates had screwed up somewhere. Yet again looking up to everyone else, he demanded, "Explain."

Ooishi got right to it, "Well… you see… it's like… um, how to explain… I mean…"

"'Inui-sempai made this gunk that I drank and it turned me back into a kid'…" Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at young Tezuka for his explanation. He looked down in slight embarrassment [though his expression never changed], and his glasses slipped off his face once more. Though, he caught it before it reached the ground. "…That's how Echizen-kun explained it to me in the locker room…" Everyone sweat dropped and looked in Ryoma's direction. The freshman prodigy just shrugged.

"I… see…" Atobe muttered. The explanation made sense. He'd give credit to the brat for that. He'd seen firsthand what the data player's juices could do to people, and he himself was relieved that he hadn't fallen victim to it. Though, the silver haired male did hold a bit of curiosity as to how badly Seigaku's tennis team's manager's drinks tasted like. But from what it did to Tezuka, he supposed he'd have to live with that curiosity.

"It's not just gunk…" the group heard said data player mumble, along with the scratching noises of a pen against paper. The spiky haired senior had opened his green notebook once more and was writing down the observations he had seen when Atobe first caught sight of Tezuka. "Ii data… oh…?" He stopped writing. Silence. He looked up and noticed that everyone was staring at him. Again. He sighed and closed his notebook with a small _snap._

Stowing away his notebook and pen into his pockets, he adjusted his glasses. "Anyways…" the data player started, "I do not believe we will be completely focused on training because of this little… accident… but! We will be combining our efforts in order to figure out a cure to get Tezuka back to normal!" he exclaimed confidently, his glasses gleaming in the light. The sky was starting to turn an orange and pink color as the sun set. Time seemed to have flown by so quickly because of said _'accident'._

Ryuuzaki-sensei decided it was her turn to speak up. "So I'm afraid we can't exactly set up a practice until Tezuka gets back to normal…"

"Why not?" the boy and question asked, looking back up and placing his glasses on. His eyes were filled with the spark that had been there not too long ago when he was rallying with the boy next to him. "I don't see why you can't set up a practice match just because of my condition. I don't… remember… anything about being older… but I do know that waiting would be a waste of valuable practice time. I keep hearing about Nationals, and about how now is the time to really use that time wisely… but I don't see anything getting done. This is a good opportunity… let's not waste it."

Everyone stared at the boy in silence for a moment. It was the first time they had all heard Tezuka talk so much. The young boy looked around at each of them, slightly wondering why they were looking at him with so much focus. It was starting to get on his nerves. He really hated all this attention. Frowning, he asked, "Did I say something wrong…?" And afterwards, simultaneously, the elderly woman and the taller members of the Seishun Gakuen tennis club burst out laughing. Echizen-kun and the one he identified as _Atobe-san_ smirked. If he had said something funny, he didn't understand what it was. But what some of them said through their laughs explained everything.

"H-he-even though he's small-He still acts like the Tezuka we know nya!" The small buchou's blood was starting to boil.

"Tezuka is still Tezuka! He is! He is!" He had enough.

"Everyone! Twenty laps around the court!" His voice was filled with authority yet laced in with annoyance and a hint of frustration. And even though that was able to make them cease their laughter, they just stared at him once more with incredulous looks. "Now," he added, eyes glinting. He heard someone snicker at his side. "You too, Echizen." He didn't add the suffix at the end. The snickering immediately stopped and was replaced with a dissatisfied 'hn'. After a few moments of whining which fell on deaf ears, the Regulars went to fulfill their twenty laps.

Ryuuzaki-sensei chuckled a little bit more before regaining her composure. She placed a hand on his head, and the boy closed his eyes to prevent his messy, honey colored hair from poking them. He had calmed down considerably after his little order. Looking back up to the silver haired male which still held that smirk on his face, young Tezuka couldn't help but think that the figure was familiar. Then the other spoke up.

"I hate to admit it, but they're right." Atobe stepped closer to the young boy until the two of them were only a foot away. The elderly woman removed her hand from young Tezuka's head, and the boy had to lift his head up in order to look at the Hyoutei buchou's face. Noticing this, the silver haired male went down on one knee so that the two could be eye level. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, a silent staring contest going on between them. Atobe was the first to break away, turning his gaze to the old woman.

"I'll take him off your hands." It was a statement rather than a question, and young Tezuka blinked in surprise. Ryuuzaki-sensei expressed the same expression, but it then turned into one of curiosity.

"Oh? Why would you want to take care of _this_ troublemaker?"

"Your team gets easily distracted. Even _Tezuka_ knows and he's lost his memories when he was leading them." Atobe turned his gaze back to Tezuka, and he lifted a hand and slowly ran it through the young boy's hair. He was surprised that even though it was messy and was slightly spiked up, it was soft and he was able to easily run his fingers right through. "Don't worry about him. He won't be any trouble at all. What do you say, Tezuka?" Young Tezuka blinked once more as he was addressed the question.

"You're… asking me…?"

"Ahn? Why wouldn't I? It's your decision really. I wouldn't want you to come with me against your will." Atobe thought that last comment over for a moment, and realized that he was going soft. He inwardly shook his head. All the changes that happened within him, it was all Tezuka's fault. And it was all because of that one match…

"Alright." It was Atobe's turn to blink in surprise. But then he smirked. He didn't know how these turn of events had occurred, but even coming in without aforementioned warning, he was able to have things go his way. As it should be. The narcissist was now responsible for Tezuka. He would be able to take care of the brunette… the way he had wanted to after that match. Well, not exactly, but he could improvise.

"Good decision." Ruffling the boy's hair [which caused Tezuka to shut his eyes tightly in which Atobe thought was slightly cute], the silver haired male removed his hand and stood straight, brushing off his pants since he had kneeled on one knee. Looking back up at Seigaku's coach, he said with finality, "That settles it."

Turning his back towards her, he continued, "Tezuka, follow. Ryuuzaki-sensei, if they figure out anything, you know how to contact me." And with that, he started walking, Tezuka listening and jogging after him until the two walked side by side. The young boy felt comfortable with the silver haired male… He wasn't sure what compelled him to do so, but after giving the other a side glance, he slipped his hand into Atobe's hand. Atobe didn't mind.

Ryuuzaki-sensei just shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "Boys will be boys…" she mumbled to herself, a small smile forming on her face. "Stubborn ones at that." Diverting her attention from the two hand in hand, she noticed Sakuno still standing inside the tennis courts, looking down with a depressed expression on her face. Being the girl's grandmother, she could tell what was the problem.

"You should just stick with your first one," the elderly woman commented, surprising the girl out of her thoughts. The one with pigtails then blushed.

"O-Obaa-chan!" she exclaimed, looking down and fiddling with her finger from embarrassment. "Y-you shouldn't s-say things like that…!" The elder Ryuuzaki just shook her head once more. Noticing that the rest of the Regular members were starting to come back and had started to slow down by the end of the lap they were on, she figured that it had been the last one. She was proven correct when they stopped in front of her, some of them collapsing on the ground from exhaustion.

"I can't run anymore… I just can't…" Momoshiro panted, him being one that collapsed on the ground.

"Tsukareta nya…" the usually energetic player whined, leaning against Ooishi. Ryoma seemed to be the first to notice that there were two people missing. He looked around before stating his question, his eyes glowing dangerously bright.

"Oi… where's Tezuka-buchou and the Monkey King?" Everyone else, with the exception of Ryuuzaki-sensei, seemed to stiffen before taking a look for themselves. The freshman was right. The two were nowhere to be seen. All eyes turned to the elderly woman.

"They left."

Momoshiro jumped to his feet, all signs of fatigue leaving him. "Wh-what do you mean they left!?"

"Unyaa!? You mean Tezuka's with that… that…!"

"Maa, maa! Calm down, Eiji! Momoshiro! Sensei probably has a good reason for this…"

"Ano… Ooishi's probably right…"

"This is no good. How am I supposed to test my cures for him if the test subject isn't with… I-I mean, h-how am I supposed to observe him if he's not around?"

"Fsssh."

"…" Fuji and Ryoma shared similar angered looks on their faces. The tensai's was because he still didn't trust Atobe after all that time. First impressions were important to him, and the damn arrogant narcissist had ruined his. Fuji wasn't going to be forgiving the silver haired male any time soon. The freshman prodigy's was because he just didn't want the young Tezuka with anyone else. He'd have the same expression even if the small brunette was with one of the other Regulars, but him being with Atobe was much, much worse.

"It was his decision," Ryuuzaki-sensei explained. "Now stop your whining, and go on home. It's getting dark. An-- a… achoo!" The Seigaku coach took out a tissue from her pocket and dabbed her nose with it before continuing. "And get a good night's sleep." She sniffed. "We have lots to get done tomorrow. After school, we meet in front of the school. Practice will be called off…" she announced hesitantly. She then shook her head. Getting Tezuka back to normal was the main goal now, despite what the young boy had said earlier.

"Inui."

"H-hai… Sensei…?"

"We'll be taking visits to your house."

"…!"

"Don't make that face. You're the one that caused this problem to begin with!" Inui looked down and mumbled something inaudible before looking up and nodding. "Good. Everyone, understand?" She was answered with 'yeah', 'got it', and 'che'. She sighed. "Regulars, dismissed." Everyone was oddly silent after that as they went to put the equipment away, get their stuff, and head to the club room. Each had their own share of thoughts to ponder about.

As the fukubuchou went to get his stuff, he realized that Tezuka's stuff was still left out, and taking it upon himself, he brought that with him. Everyone was oddly silent while changing in the locker room as well, until it was broken by the freshman prodigy. "Damn Monkey King." Some nodded in agreement while others stayed quiet. Ooishi, being the peacemaker, tried to reason with the boy.

"Echizen, Ryuuzaki-sensei did say that it was Tezuka's decision… He must have had a reason for going with him, you know."

"Or maybe Atobe blackmailed him nya!" the kind counter-puncher's doubles partner countered. The mother hen of the group shook his head.

"With what? I don't think Atobe would really blackmail anyone though… He's arrogant and flashy, and he has a lot of influence and authority, but I don't think he'd need blackmail… Besides, Ryuuzaki-sensei was right there, too, and I doubt she'd let Tezuka go with someone she didn't trust." There was a collective group sigh as they all finished changing.

"I guess we just have to wait until tomorrow… Inui." The data player nodded, adjusting his glasses once more.

"I'll do my best," he responded to the fukubuchou. "I don't quite trust that boy either, but there's nothing we can do about it. The best thing we can do is cure Tezuka. I doubt he'd stay with Atobe after that. Then we'll be able to focus on practice and bettering ourselves for the Nationals." Everyone agreed to that last part, but there was tension within the group, especially from the ones that had forgiven the silver haired male and the ones that didn't.

"I don't think he's that bad, though…" Everyone looked in Momoshiro's direction, some of them with a hint of a glare. "No, no!" He held up his hands in his defense. "I mean… I don't agree with what he did… but I mean… he seems to have changed…! I don't know if you guys noticed it, but… And he _has_ helped us practice and all… Er…" The spiky haired junior scratched the back of his head nervously and looked away.

"Actually… I agree with him…" Thank gosh for Taka-san. "I mean… Atobe still holds himself the same way, but there's something different about the way he looks at Buchou… and… I don't know…"

"No, no! I feel that way, too, Taka-san!" The sushi chef in training chuckled nervously.

"A-ah…"

"Well," Fuji started. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"Yeah…"

---

"Atobe-san."

"Keigo."

"Atobe-san."

"Keigo."

"Atobe-san."

"Keigo."

After the two had exited the gates of Seishun Gakuen, young Tezuka was quite surprised to find a limousine waiting for the two of them. He had noted that Atobe's clothes were very well kept and that they were of a different make than most normal clothes. The taller male also had that sophisticated and well bred look about him, but he didn't quite expect the boy to be… well… _rich._ The small boy had looked up at the other with large, questioning eyes, but all that he received in response was a wide smirk.

The young Tezuka knew that the silver haired male had called for a ride on the walk towards the gates, and he was only a little bit suspicious at how short the conversation had been [since he had only heard Atobe dial and talk and hang up the phone right after those previous actions were made]. Though, the small brunette was quite surprised to find himself so clueless. Once the two had stepped out the gates, the driver had stepped out and opened the door for them after giving a low bow in respect.

"Well? Get in." Young Tezuka was slightly startled out of his thoughts, and he nodded before letting go of the taller boy's hand and getting in, giving the chauffer a small 'thank you' as he entered. Atobe just shook his head and sighed before entering himself, the door shutting behind him. Though after the both of them had put on their seatbelts, it was the narcissist that found young Tezuka's hand to hold in his this time. It was comfortable.

Resting his elbow on the side and leaning his chin in his hand, Atobe stared out the window as the buildings passed by. He vaguely started remembering the time when he first admitted that he had a crush on Seishun Gakuen's tennis buchou. He had been unknowing at first. He figured it was just because he had labeled the boy as his ultimate rival that he started thinking about the other so much, but as time passed, he no longer just thought about Tezuka in the tennis sense. And it was then that he had learned that somewhere along the lines, the feeling of rivalry had become something more.

"Atobe-san…? Where are we going?" The silver haired male was pulled from his thoughts as the boy asked the question. Though, he didn't answer, for he had started thinking about how the boy had addressed him. _'Atobe-san,'_ he repeated in his mind with disgust. _'That's what they call my father.'_ 'They' being his father's business partners.

Atobe Keigo didn't hate his father. He didn't hate his mother either. But the most likely reason that he _didn't_ hate them was because he actually knew too little about them for that hatred. The two were busy, and they usually worked overseas. Ever since he was little, they had always been away, and his servants and butlers were the ones that raised him. Proper manners. Proper postures. Formal speech. Guest skills. Though, the arrogance and flashiness were things that he learned on his own. If he wasn't able to obtain the attention from his parents, then he'd gain attention from everyone else. It was his way of handling things.

And even after moving to Japan from England, he still hadn't really seen his parents' faces. And at the moment, he couldn't even remember what they looked like. They were never there for important dates such as his birthday or Christmas. Sure, he received all the presents any child could only dream of having. But before he had joined the tennis team in Hyoutei…

He had always been alone.

"Atobe…-san…?" The silver haired male let out a small sighed as he lifted his head from his hand, and he looked down towards the small brunette with his usual grin.

"Keigo." Young Tezuka blinked up at him in confusion.

"…Huh…?"

"Call me Keigo." The small boy frowned and looked straight ahead, his eyebrows knitting in concentration.

"Kei…go………-san…" he tried. He then looked up at the taller male. Atobe just shook his head.

"Keigo."

"I can't."

"Ahn? Why not?"

"Too informal."

"Atobe-san is too formal. Keigo."

"Atobe-san."

"Keigo."

"Atobe-san."

"Keigo."

And with the both of them being stubborn and both hating to lose or give up, they kept at this until they reached their destination. The limousine had stopped, and after realizing this, the young Tezuka looked out the window. "Atobe-san…"

"Keigo." The small brunette rolled his eyes, finally deciding that they had argued long enough. He sighed.

"K…Kei…go…" Said male smirked and quickly placed a kiss upon the boy's head. Young Tezuka stiffened slightly from the action, making Atobe chuckle lightly, before he regained himself and opened the door, not bothering to wait for the driver to open the door for him. Once out, he didn't wait for the taller male before making his way through the gates.

Atobe shook his head lightly once more as the small boy went on ahead of him. The kid was stubborn. But the kid was still Tezuka after all. Looks like the calm and collecting side of the boy hadn't shown yet. Getting out himself, he shut the door behind him and passed by his chauffer which had a slightly confused look on his face. "Wait here." And he briskly followed after the small brunette, not wanting the other to get lost in the big school of Hyoutei Gakuen.

The two of them walked side by side once more. Young Tezuka had his arms crossed. Atobe had his hands placed in his pockets. Not needing to look where he was going since he knew the area like the back of his hand, the silver haired male kept his eyes trained on the small one right next to him. The other didn't seem to notice this, and so he could observe without any interruption… at least until they reached Hyoutei's tennis club room.

He noted how when the smaller one walked, the brunette kept his back straight, almost to the point where he seemed to be stiff. It looked like that didn't change a bit. He also noted that as the boy walked, he looked around. Atobe could only imagine that the boy was trying to memorize how the place looked like. He held in a chuckle though at how surprised the young one looked while looking around.

"Oi, Tezuka." The boy blinked and looked at him as the two of them came to a stop. "Stay close." Confusion filled those chocolate brown eyes of his. "If you don't, I don't know if I'll be able to protect you from them." The boy frowned and nodded slightly, but he complied and shuffled a little bit closer to Atobe. "Good boy." Young Tezuka 'hn'ed'. Reaching out and grabbing hold of one of the double doors' handles, he sighed. _'Hopefully they'll behave…'_ He opened the door.

---

"Yuushiiiii, give me the box of pockyyyy."

"No, Gakuto."

"Why nooot."

"Shishido-san… do you think we should help him?"

"Why bother, Choutarou? It's none of our business."

"I suppose…"

Young Tezuka blinked as the silver haired male had opened the door. He was expecting absolute chaos to ensue when the door had opened, especially from the warning that the other had given. Nothing bad really seemed to be happening to him as all eyes turned to him, and he was brave enough to step forward. Looking around the club room, he noted that it was around the same size as the one at Seigaku. The thing different was that… there were no lockers. There was a long, nicely polished rectangular wooden table in the center of the room with four cushioned stools on each long side and one stool at the farthest side.

Upon further inspection, there was a door on the right corner of the wall that lay parallel to the door he and the silver haired male had just entered. There was also a door to their immediate left. Young Tezuka figured that the locker room lay behind one of those doors. And the people…

On the right sitting on one of the stools was a male with a bit long blue colored hair. He wore round shaped glasses with eyes with a similar color as his hair with the exception of a hint of purple. A box of strawberry pocky was in his hand. Behind him, a smaller figure was jumping extremely high up and down with a pout on his face. This boy had dark blue eyes and short like red hair with triangular bangs which somewhat made him look like a girl. On the opposite side of the table sitting next to each other was a tall boy with white, messy hair and a kind face. The other had brown, slightly spiky hair, though most of it was hidden with a blue cap which was placed on backwards. He didn't look as kind as the one he was sitting next to. They both had brown eyes but on the temple of the brown haired one's left eyebrow, there was a white bandage.

Taking a count of how many were in the room, young Tezuka concluded that this wasn't the full tennis team since he knew that each team required seven players. He wondered if he would be meeting the others. And the room had actually gone silent when he had entered, but he was sure that the silence was going to be broken soon. How right he was.

"Oi, oi! Atobe! You never told me you had a sibling! Or is he your kid? Why does he look like that one Seigaku buchou? Don't tell me that…"

"Gakuto… you didn't know?"

"…Whaaat!? No waaaay!" Atobe's eye twitched but he kept a smirk on his face, though it was stressed. "Yuushiiiii, you knew!? And you didn't tell me!? Yuushiiiiiiiii! You owe me one pocky for not informing me!" Hyoutei's buchou clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to will himself to calm down and trying to tell himself that he should be used to this… _this…_ whatever _this_ was…

"Shishido-san… he's kidding, right? I mean…"

"Listen to what you're saying, Choutarou! Of course he is!"

"Well, you can't be too sure, Shishido-san…"

A sigh and a shake of his head. "Choutarou…"

"Oi…"

"Oh? You have to work for this pocky. Besides, don't you want to know when Atobe did it?"

"But you still owe me that pocky!" A roll of the eyes. "And duh! I wanna know!" _'…That's right. It's called __**idiocy**__.'_

"_Oi,_" the silver haired male tried again, hating the fact that he was being ignored. **Ore-sama** should **never** be ignored.

"Well first, he tied Tezuka to the be--"

"OSHITARI." All eyes turned to Atobe. The blue haired male and the redhead had wide grins on their faces yet tried to look innocent at the same time. It just made them look creepy. The white haired one was blushing, and the brown haired one ran a hand down his face while looking annoyed.

"What is it, Atobe?" the blue haired one drawled, a hint of pretend hurt in his voice. "I was right in the middle of explaining to Gakuto how babies are born." The Hyoutei buchou let out a sigh, recomposing himself before he started listing off the things.

"One: He is not my sibling _**or**_ my child. Two: He looks like Tezuka because he _**is**_ Tezuka. Three: Gakuto… you already _**know**_ how babies are born, and therefore, you do not need an explanation."

Gakuto frowned. "I'm pretty sure that's more than three things--"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT," Atobe yelled, his tolerance level starting to wear down. How he was able to manage his team sometimes, even _he_ didn't quite know. But when times were serious, he would be able to lead the way everyone else saw him lead. But at times like this… it was just Hell for him. Choutarou, starting to feel sorry for his stressed out buchou, had decided to speak now.

"So… you're saying this is Tezuka-san…?" the white haired boy asked, standing up from his seat and walking over to the small brunette. Crouching down so they were around the same eye level [since the kind one was quite tall for only being a second year], he smiled and looked towards Atobe. "He's kind of cute." He then directed his smile towards the one with the blue cap. "Don't you think so, too, Shishido-san?" The boy being asked frantically stood up and rubbed the base of his neck in embarrassment as a slight blush formed in his cheeks.

"Wh-I-I guess so…" he said, looking away with a frown. Tezuka just blinked as everything unfolded in front of him, completely confused as to what was going on and what most of the conversation had been about before the white haired male spoke up. Closing his eyes for a moment as the figure in front of him patted him on the head, he opened his eyes to find that the blue haired one was now standing before him. Only a moment after, the small brunette heard the door behind him and Atobe open.

Turning slightly, he took a short look at the man standing in the doorway. Wearing a neat, brown suit, young Tezuka figured that this male was Hyoutei's coach. "Kantoku," Atobe turned and addressed the one that had newly arrived with the slightest bow of his head. The man nodded.

"Were you able to set up a date and time?" Quick and straight to the point. Atobe sighed yet again and launched into a quick explanation which actually turned out quite lengthy. While this happened, young Tezuka turned back to the blue haired male and couldn't help but be a little nervous at the other's gaze. There was a certain glint in those blue, purple hinted orbs which screamed trouble.

"So, you're Tezuka, hm?" He felt himself stiffen as the blue haired male looked him up and down. Looking away, he repeated in his mind to relax and that nothing bad was going to happen to him. He held in a squeak as he felt heavy hands land on his shoulders, and his gaze immediately shot back to the one called 'Oshitari' by the silver haired male. "Don't worry," he said, his voice not really sounding too convincing to the small one's ears, "I'm just checking how… fit you are."

'_Wh-what's that supposed to mean…?'_ young Tezuka thought for a moment before having his question answered. The blue haired male slowly ran his hands down the small boy's arms. At certain spots, the taller one would gently apply pressure with his thumbs, feeling the muscle underneath the skin.

"Mm, you're quite skinny, aren't you?" The small boy couldn't help but pout at that. It was true that he was a little bit underweight for his age, but that was only because he didn't really eat much meat, being part of a traditional Japanese family. He also exercised quite a lot as well. So instead of being called 'skinny', he much preferred to be called 'fit'. As Oshitari felt the brunette's arms down to his hands, he turned so that they faced upwards and felt the boy's palms. "You play a lot of tennis for your age, don't you."

Young Tezuka's eyes immediately lit up with pride and he gave a small nod. His mouth was a straight line, but the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch with the want to curve upward. Noticing this, the blue haired male chuckled lightly. "That's good. Now, lift your arms." The command confused the small brunette, and he blinked. "Like this." Oshitari demonstrated for him, and the boy mimicked the motion. He bit his bottom lip though, as not to gasp out in surprise as the blue haired male's hands wrapped around his upper torso. The nervousness seeped back into him.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." For some reason, young Tezuka felt that maybe he'd prefer pain more than what he was feeling at the moment. It was when Oshitari's thumbs brushed over two sensitive bumps through his shirt that he gasped out in surprise and discomfort. "Oh? Did that hurt?" The small boy's thoughts were just screaming at him to tell the blue haired one to stop as the male brought his thumbs to those two bumps.

"Sh-Shishido-san…"

"D-don't look, Choutarou!" The one with the blue cap held up a hand to cover the white haired male's eyes. Gakuto was snickering in the background, very much entertained. He held a hand to his mouth to prevent himself from laughing too loudly. It was when Oshitari started to _rub_ that young Tezuka reacted.

The small boy shut his eyes tightly as his cheeks heated to a pink color, his hands weakly grabbing the taller one's wrist in a poor attempt to stop the other's actions. "A-ah..."

"Oh? It can't be that ba--"

"_**OSHITARI!!**_" Young Tezuka heard a swiping noise, followed by the sound of something being hit. The hands that had been touching him were quickly removed. He allowed himself to open one eye to see what had happened. The blue haired male was on the floor putting a hand to his head. The silver haired male was trembling slightly in fury, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Atobe sucked in a breath and let it out. The Hyoutei buchou's attention then immediately turned to the small boy.

Crouching in front of him, Atobe asked, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Dammit, that pervert. Oshitari! One thousand laps!" The red haired boy was rolling on the floor laughing. Choutarou just looked uncomfortable, and the one with the blue cap had annoyance written all over his face.

"Oi, Atobe." The coach. Heaving another sigh, the silver haired male shook his head lightly.

"Fine. One hundred laps. No less."

"Y'hear that, Yuushi? You gotta do one hundred laps!" Gakuto laughed after finally regaining his composure. He still snickered a bit at random times though. "Aw come on and get up already. He didn't kick you _that_ hard, did he?" Oshitari stood up, still rubbing the back of his head.

"Atobe, that really hurt," the blue haired male complained. "What if I was seriously injured and wasn't able to play for a few days or weeks? Then what?" Atobe just crossed his arms over his chest and stood up.

"That'd be wonderful." The Hyoutei tensai just rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine. I won't touch him again."

"Good. Anyways, where's Kabaji, Jirou, and that other kid?"

"Oh! They're in the room next door," the white haired male responded, motioning towards the door on the left wall. "Jirou's sleeping on the couch, as usual… and Kabaji and Hiyoshi are having a staring contest."

"Staring contest? What the hell… ah, never mind. Oh yeah." Looking back at the young Tezuka, the silver haired male lamely introduced everyone. "Oshitari Yuushi, perverted tensai, Mukahi Gakuto, hyperactive acrobatic player, Ootori Choutarou, doubles partners with Shishido Ryou, the dash specialist, and Kantoku." He waved a hand in the air. "You can call them whatever you want. I doubt they'd mind unless it's something insulting. I'll try not to have you come into contact with them, but I can't promise anything. Okay, I want to get out of here as soon as possible, so--"

"Oi Atobe… what's with all the noise…?" The door where the remaining Regular Hyoutei members were residing in had opened, an in the doorway was a brown haired boy with messy hair. His eyes were halfway opened, and he covered his mouth to hide a big yawn. The narcoleptic had miraculously woken up.

"Ah, perfect timing. Akutagawa Jirou, serve and volley player."

"Huh…?" The sleepy one rubbed at his eyes with his hands for a moment and blinked the sleep away from his eyes. He stared at the small boy that he didn't know but that somehow looked familiar to him. "…" Jirou's eyes widened as they started to light up with excitement. "Oh my gosh! Kawaii~!" Young Tezuka didn't get a chance to react as the newly awakened one successfully glomped him. But at least it was better than a certain someone touching him uncomfortably.

"Where'd you get him? Is he a new recruit? I didn't know Tezuka-san had a little brother! Does he play tennis? I bet he does! What's his name? How old is he? Is he coming to Hyoutei? Kakkoi~! Neh, neh, Atobe, can I take him home? I promise to take good care of him!" Everyone else in the room besides the narcoleptic and the small brunette sweat dropped.

"No."

"Awww, why?"

"No."

"But, but, but--"

"No."

"But…!"

"Jirou."

"Fine…"

"Let me go! Let me go, I say! I'll Gekokujou you! One day!!" Coming in from the door were two more people. One was very tall and bulky, though the look on his face gave the impression of someone with a simple mind. With short, neat hair, he held the back of the other one's shirt, carrying the other off the ground in that manner. The smaller boy had narrow eyes with spiky brown-orange hair that fell in front of his eyes. The two that entered had brown eyes.

"Usu."

"Alright, the tall one there is Kabaji Munehiro, all-rounder, and the mushroom kid is… What was his name again? Oh yeah, Hiyoshi Wakashi." The smaller boy's eye twitched.

"You… You…! I am not a mushroom! One day! I'll gekokujou you! All of you! You'll all pay for this!" Atobe waved him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Not in a million years. Kabaji." Snap.

"Usu." Kabaji went out of the locker room and walked away still carrying the smaller male.

"I'll get you for this!!!!"

"And these… are Hyoutei's regulars."

"A-ah… I see…"

"Don't worry, you'll get used to them."

"…"

"Well, maybe not. Anyways, we'll be taking our leave now." Atobe nodded towards the coach. Sakaki-sensei held up two fingers to his temple in a kind of salute.

"Alright. Itte yoshi." Everything seemed to happen so fast, young Tezuka was only able to catch up with what had happened after the two of them were in the limousine once more and on their way to wherever they were heading.

"A-Atobe-san--"

"Keigo."

"Ah, K-Keigo… where are we--"

"Home."

"…? You mean…"

"My home."

"…Ah…"

* * *

**Author: Okay, I know the ending sucked. But this chapter was getting just so long, and I was starting to get a little bit annoyed that I just couldn't finish it, so yeah. XD; And damn, I was like, "Shoot, I dunno how all of Hyoutei's regulars really act like… and sorry for not adding Taki in there. And well, I know they kind of went out of character for a bit. And the ending sucked… but like, I just wanted to get things over with. I hadn't planned this chapter to be so long, really. So yeah… Uh, I'll try not making the next chapter as long… but it'll still be long enough, I guess. XD; So, read and review? XD**


	4. Hurt

**Author: Okay. Taki will have to be in this chapter somewhere. Because I owe him big time for not really being there in the last chapter. And I haven't really thought out what the heck is going to happen in this chapter, so most of whatever happens in here is probably gonna be thought up on the spot… ish. XD **

**And I have a feeling that characters will go OOC in this chapter because… well… I don't really know Taki's personality well. And how Atobe acts towards Taki and the other way around. So… I'll make them BFFs. XD Or something. And this is getting long, so I guess the show/story must continue~!**

* * *

Young Tezuka had been staring out the limousine window aimlessly, wondering what Atobe's home would look like. He knew that it had to be quite big. With the respect the silver haired chauffer had given, not to mention the taller male actually having a limousine and a chauffer to begin with, that was pretty obvious. But when the actually house came into sight and the small brunette had come back to reality from his thoughts, what he saw was something he wouldn't have been able to guess, although somewhere deep inside him, he couldn't expect any less.

It was a _mansion._ And a _huge_ mansion at that. From afar, it had looked pretty small, like one of those fancy big houses that you would see in newspapers and catch glimpses of in magazines while walking by a stack of them, but when they had neared the house, the bespectacled boy was just amazed at how _big_ it actually was. It seemed like it would have been able to fit a million people, maybe even more. Young Tezuka couldn't even begin to calculate how many limousines that would be able to fit in there…

Hyoutei's buchou smirked as he watched the smaller boy's expression turn into one of surprise. He had a small urge to tell the kid that this wasn't really the only mansion that he owned and that there were even bigger ones that he'd lived in back in England, but surprisingly, he stopped himself from showing off. Really, when he had caught those glimpses of Tezuka at the age the boy now appeared to be, he hadn't expected to see any change at all in the other's expression. That was just the kind of feel that you received from that kind of person. So seeing those expressions now was quite a surprise in itself, but it was an amusing one at that.

But the expression the small boy made back at Hyoutei when that… that _idiot of a tensai_ was… The silver haired male felt his face growing hot at the image, and he felt a blush creeping up his cheeks. He vaguely wondered how that expression would look on Tezuka's face when his body would be back to normal again… Atobe sucked in a deep breath and let it out, shaking his head to clear his mind of those kinds of thoughts. He admitted to himself that yes, there was more than just a mere attraction to the younger boy, but that was no excuse for him not to control his emotions and actions. He needed to focus at the problem at hand.

Tezuka had shrunken back to his elementary school age. He understood that, and even though he could probably get some people to work on a cure for it, he wasn't sure if he wanted to let the boy turn back to normal so quickly, especially since it was Atobe himself that would be taking care of the small one until a cure by Seigaku's Regulars could be found. Though the silver haired male was great in hiding his inner emotions, it was getting quite difficult for him to hide his affections towards the younger boy, and this change and Tezuka somewhat allowed him to show those affections once in a while without freaking the boy out.

There were also questions he wanted to ask in order to understand the Seigaku buchou better. He had already misunderstood once. He didn't want that to happen again, especially since the first time had almost cost the brunette his entire tennis career. Atobe sighed once more. He really needed to get over it, but for some reason, he couldn't get rid of the guilt that resided within him. He had helped Tezuka time and time again, thinking that, _'After this, I'll be rid of it for good,'_ but for some reason, it never ended up that way.

He had tried to convince himself that he was doing it for Tezuka, but later on, he realized that he had been doing it for himself. And then confusion struck him. He was doing these things for Tezuka to satisfy himself. So who was he really doing these things for? But before he became frustrated with those thoughts, he decided to wave it off, though he never stopped helping the younger male. As long as Tezuka was happy and that he was satisfied with himself, Atobe figured that understanding it really didn't matter as long as those two things were fulfilled.

The silver haired male was snapped out of his thoughts as the limousine door opened and there was a small yelp of surprise. He hadn't even registered that the vehicle had come to a stop, and he quickly turned his head to the side to look. He figured that the boy had been leaning against the door to get a better view of the mansion, but the chauffer, not being able to see from the outside of the dark tinted windows, had opened the door. Young Tezuka had started to fall out, his seat belt not, and but Atobe didn't have the time to wonder if the boy took it off when the limousine stopped or if he hadn't worn it for the entire ride.

With quick reflexes, the Hyoutei buchou undid his own seatbelt and reached out, leaning sideways and wrapping his arms around the brunette's waist and pulling him back inside the vehicle until the boy was sitting on his lap. And for some reason, the silver haired male affectionately rubbed his cheek against the top of the boy's head and closed his eyes.

The distance from the seat of the limousine to the ground wasn't that far, but falling headfirst could leave some lasting damage. Atobe would not let that happen to _his_ Tezuka. "Baka." Though it was normally used as an insult, the tone in the usually arrogant one's voice was soft and gentle, not at all like how he spoke. "Don't lean against the door." He felt the boy nod against his chest, and he opened his eyes, shooting a cold glare towards the chauffer which read, _'If Tezuka wasn't here watching, I'd fire you right here and now.'_

The poor chauffer jumped back, whole body trembling, and he straightened before bowing extremely low, stuttering out a stream of apologies and how he'd never do it again. Though, him and Atobe were both surprised when they heard the boy speak up. "It's alright. It was my fault." The silver haired male held in a sigh. Was Tezuka always this nice, or did the boy always fully blame himself for things that were only _partially_ his fault? The Hyoutei buchou shook his head, messing up young Tezuka's hair a bit more than it already was, and pulled away.

"Just don't do it again." The small boy only nodded and exited the limousine, and as Atobe followed suit, he vaguely wondered what kind of expression the other was wearing now. Waving it aside for now, he strode over towards Tezuka and passed him towards the doors to the mansion, not looking back and expecting the young boy to follow him without having to say anything. The brunette did so, half walking and have jogging in order to keep up with the taller one's pace so he wouldn't end up too far behind.

Once the silver haired male reached the doors, he waited until he heard the footsteps of the other stop behind him, and in one fellow swoop of both his arms, he opened the doors in a grand fashion. Behind him, young Tezuka's eyes widened as the inside of the mansion was revealed to him. Everything within seemed to glow brilliantly as the light reflected off everything. But for some reason, Atobe seemed to glow a whole lot brighter.

And the Hyoutei buchou strode into his home like the King he was. The brunette following after and staring around in amazement. Maids were lined up at their sides in as they walked in between the two rows of them, and whenever the silver haired male passed by a pair, the two bowed and straightened simultaneously. It felt so surreal, and yet, everything that he was seeing was really happening. The small boy was slightly overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all, and he almost bumped into the taller male stopped at the end of the rows of maids. He jumped when he heard them all speak in unison.

"Okaerimashita, Keigo-bocchama."

Atobe sighed inwardly. He was so used to everything. The glowing brightness of the mansion. The works of art hanging along the walls. The neat, expensive furniture that decorated the room to give it a Western style look. The servants, maids, butlers. He was so used to everything. He was so _tired_ of it sometimes. And at other times, he was so used to it that it soon became _boring._ He had gotten used to everything so long ago. He had grown up rich and spoiled. He was taught how to respect, how to show proper manners to _important people._ Though, he taught himself how to gain respect.

"You," he turned around, placing his hands on his hips and staring down the rows of the figures lined up on the sides. "Our guest," he stated, referring to the small brunette in front of him, not bothering to look down at young Tezuka's even more surprised reaction. "Treat him like you would treat Ore-sama." A collective affirmative with a collective bow. "Dismissed." And they all scrambled to get back to their duties before the arrival of their master. _'Sometimes…'_ Atobe thought. _'Sometimes responsibility is tiring.'_

"A-- K-Keigo…"

"Ahn?" _'But sometimes…'_

"You didn't need to do that… I--"

"No, I didn't need to." _'But sometimes… it's necessary, whether you want it or not.'_ "I _wanted_ to." Young Tezuka looked down, not wanting to gaze into the silver haired male's eyes yet wanting to at the same time. There was something different about them. The way they glinted. The boy wasn't sure what it was, but the taller male seemed to be… frustrated? Somewhat… Maybe… upset…? But the brunette wasn't sure why. He wanted to know, but he also didn't want to pry, though it was bothering him slightly. "Oi."

"H-hai…?" His glasses slipped off his face, but he caught them once again before they clattered to the floor. He slightly fiddled with them as he waited for the silver haired male to continue, but once he felt a hand run gently through his messy hair, he looked up in confusion. Atobe was smiling, and his eyes held a soft look. And for some reason, young Tezuka was surprised once more as he thought, _'It's… his smile's not fake.'_

"Don't worry. They'll only come when you call or if they have some chores to attend to. Otherwise, you don't have to see them at all besides when they're serving you dinner or something." Atobe shrugged and his smile turned into a grin as he placed his hands his pockets. "Come. I'll give you a tour. We have a lot of ground to cover." And without receiving a response, the Hyoutei buchou had started walking off as the brunette had a thoughtful yet confused expression on his face.

Not hearing any footsteps following after him, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the younger boy. "Oi. Are you coming or not? Ore-sama does not have all day." _'That's a lie.'_ The silver haired male almost winced at his inner voice. _'You'll wait all day if you have to. How long have you been waiting for this kind of opportunity?'_ Atobe shut his inner voice up before it told him anything else that was painfully true and/or questions that he wished he didn't know the answers of.

"Ah!" Snapping out of his slight daze, young Tezuka hurriedly placed his glasses back on and jogged after the taller male. And once the two were side by side, they stayed like that all throughout the tour of the mansion. It was a long time until most of the important rooms were seen. The sun had set, and night had settled. That was why the small buchou was so surprised when Atobe offered to give him a tour of the _surrounding area_ of the mansion the next day.

"There's… more…?" Young Tezuka couldn't even count how many times he had been surprised today. It was too many for his liking, but since he was with the other male, he felt quite comfortable showing what he felt. He just wasn't quite sure why he felt more comfortable around the silver haired male and not even his own teammates that he couldn't remember. It was just so weird, and the boy couldn't place the emotions he was feeling…

"Oi. Stop spacing out and answer me." The brunette blinked himself back to reality.

"Ah… sumimasen."

"It's alright. Don't do it again."

"A-- Keigo… Arigatou…"

"Ahn? For what?"

"For everything. For offering to take care of me… and… showing me around…" Young Tezuka took off his glasses before looking down nervously. Atobe just grinned and kneeled on one knee, gently cupping the boy's chin with his index finger and lifting it so chocolate colored eyes met startling grayish blue hues. There was a glint in the silver haired male's gaze that reminded him of what happened back at the taller one's school, but instead of making him even more nervous, it seemed to have a different effect. He felt… he wasn't sure of a good word. Excited…?

"It's nothing." _'I'll do anything for you, Tezuka.'_ When the Hyoutei buchou spoke, the brunette felt the other's warm breath gently strike his face, and he soon realized how close their faces actually were. His heart rate sped up alarmingly, and he could swear that he heard his heart pounding in his ears. He started wondering if maybe a maid or servant or butler or _someone_ had turned up the heater because he felt his whole body start to grow hot. He didn't realize he was blushing or that he had dropped his glasses. The beating of his heart in his ears had prevented him from hearing the clatter.

"What's the matter, Ku~ni~mi~tsu~?" The boy's reactions were _priceless._ But what's more, the boy's expressions were _delicious._ Teasing the younger one was so much fun, especially since the brunette seemed to be showing signs of liking him back. Atobe wasn't a very patient person, and he always demanded things to be done right away, but Tezuka was a special case. The silver haired male could have laughed right there but didn't want to ruin the mood he had set from the boy getting too careless.

Tezuka had always been special somehow, someway. The Hyoutei buchou was just a bit slow in realizing it. And didn't the brunette always tell everyone not to let their guards down, though he himself always winded up hurt somehow?

The brunette thought his heart had leapt up into his throat as the taller male called him by his first name. The only other people that had referred to him as such were his parents, but this person… This person didn't ask, but still… And was it just him, or were their faces getting even closer to each other…? Atobe's eyes had closed halfway and pulled off a look that made young Tezuka's whole body start to tremble. The brunette felt like if he didn't hold on to something soon, his legs would collapse underneath him… It was getting hard for him to breathe, and he didn't realize he was panting lightly.

"I'm waiting for an answer, Kunimitsu," the silver haired male urged on. The small boy could feel the other's breath directly on his lips, and he closed his eyes in waiting. He wasn't sure what he was waiting _for_, and he was confused as to why this was happening or why he was feeling the way he was feeling. It wasn't a bad feeling, but it was foreign, and he wanted to know what it was yet at the same time, not want to know.

"K-Keigo…" He waited. But whatever he was waiting for never came as he felt the taller male remove the hand from his chin and felt the warmth of the other's breath move away. He felt soft lips press against his forehead in a quick kiss, and his eyes shot open as the Hyoutei buchou straightened and laughed. The small boy felt a pang in his chest that hurt, but he wasn't sure why. And for some reason, the silver haired male's laughter sounded mocking to his ears that made it hurt more.

"Ah, never mind. Anyways, it's getting pretty late. What do you want to eat for… dinner…" Atobe had been having a hard timing controlling his actions as he teased the brunette. He knew that if he wanted to, he could easily overpower the other and do whatever he wanted to, but he also knew that if he did that, the overall result would be bad. And the Hyoutei buchou didn't want to scar the kid for life like the _idiotic tensai in his tennis team_ did. But the narcissist was more composed than that, and he would wait until the right time, and in the meanwhile, continue with slow advances. But what he wasn't expecting…

…was to see Tezuka look up at him with watery eyes as if the boy was on the verge of crying.

Atobe Keigo then realized he had made a mistake. A _big_ mistake. In teasing the boy like he had done.

"Tezuka…" He frowned, though worry clearly shown in his eyes and in the way he spoke the other's name. "Tezuka, I--"

"_No._" Atobe's eyebrows shot up. He had never heard that tone in Tezuka's voice before. If anyone had thought that the Seigaku buchou's voice had always been cold, then the tone he heard right now was like a world of ice. But it was only that one moment that the small boy could hold up that tone. "What…? I-I…"

Too many emotions. Too many thoughts. Young Tezuka was having trouble thinking straight, and he was overflowing with emotions that he couldn't understand. His voice cracked up a bit, and he forced himself not to sob or cry in front of the other. He wanted to forget, but he didn't want the other to just wave off what had just happened like it hadn't happened. Why was Atobe doing all this? Why was he feeling this way? How come… how come it hurt so much…?

"S-sumanai, A-Atobe-san." And he turned tail and ran as fast as he could. He didn't know where he was going, and he couldn't see where he was going either. He wasn't sure whether it was because of him leaving his glasses behind or whether it was the tears that were blurring his vision. He thought about his grandfather that was always saying how he couldn't let his guard down or else he'd be stabbed in the back. Young Tezuka wasn't sure if his granfather meant it literally or figuratively, but at the moment, he thought about how he had let his guard down. But instead of him being stabbed in the back…

…it felt like he had been stabbed through the heart.

He continued to run without knowing where he was going. He turned corners, bumped his arm and shoulder into walls at times but not caring. He just didn't want to see Atobe see him cry. He didn't want Atobe to see him so weak. He had apologized. It was his fault for feeling the way he was feeling. It was obviously some sort of joke that the silver haired male was pulling off, and that's why the other had laughed. Young Tezuka blamed himself because he made it out as something more without understanding. So it was all his fault… and he really hoped that Atobe wouldn't dislike him after that.

The brunette only stopped when he bumped into someone that he assumed was one of the maids, servants, or butlers. Whoever it was that he bumped into had dropped whatever it was he or she was holding, and the objects fell in his direction because of the force. With blurred vision, the small boy saw the glint of the light on what appeared to be a sharp object. His eyes widened as it aimed right for his left arm.

It was already too late when he realized that he had run into the kitchen.

---

As young Tezuka had run away from him, Atobe just stood there with a blank expression, his mouth still forming a frown. He was confused as well, though frustrated with how things had turned out. There were three points that he kept repeating in his head. Three facts that he couldn't deny. One: he had made a mistake. He understood that. Two: Tezuka was upset. That was obvious. Three was the worst. He… Tezuka was… He made Tezuka _cry._

It had already been a few moments that he saw the expression, but he knew that that look would be something that would never be able to escape his memory. He _made_ Tezuka cry. No matter where he put the emphasis in that sentence, there was something wrong with it. He made _Tezuka_ cry. He doubted that even the Seigaku buchou's teammates had seen the boy cry. He didn't even _know_ what kinds of things would be able to make the brunette cry! But it still happened all the same.

He didn't realize when he had started running, but his body seemed to be acting a lot more responsibly at the moment than his mind was. It was the confusion and the guilt that was preventing him from thinking straight. He hated the fact that he couldn't even begin to deny the fact that the most precious person in his life was hurting because of _him… __**again**_. He didn't even care if he knew it the first time, but the guilt still remained. He had only started _feeling_ guilt after meeting the brunette. But now, he didn't even know how to fix it because he didn't even know why the heck Tezuka was crying in the first place! Unless…

Atobe's eyes widened in realization. _'It can't be…'_ But there was always the possibility. _'Did Tezuka… __want__ me to kiss him…?'_ He wasn't expecting it. Who would? How old was the boy in that body of his? Eleven? Twelve? Maybe even thirteen? Wasn't that a bit young to be feeling anything like that? And Tezuka didn't even _remember_ him or any of his teammates. It just didn't make sense… And who would have thought… that Tezuka could be so… _fragile_?

Somewhere nearby, the silver haired male heard a crash, snapping him out of his thoughts. He headed in the direction, knowing that the brunette had to be there, and as he approached the room where the crash seemed to have come from, a feeling a dread passed over him. Something bad happened to Tezuka. There was a crash. It came from the kitchen. There were many dangerous things in the kitchen. And Tezuka… _'Tezuka…'_

"Tezuka!!"

Atobe stopped in the entryway. His eyes darted to the knife. Then to a thick, dark red liquid on the knife. Then to a slowly growing puddle of it from…

"Oh my god…" Those three English words escaped his mouth in barely above a whisper. And then in an instant, he was right by the small boy's side. "Tezuka… Tezuka…" The boy kept alarmingly silent as he held his right hand to his lower arm, only able to cover half of the bleeding incision that was made from the knife. Tears were still streaming down the boy's cheeks, but Atobe wasn't sure if it was because of what happened before or if it was from the pain of his arm getting sliced…

"Tezuka… Tezuka…! Say something…!" The Hyoutei buchou was starting to panic. And panicking wasn't something that helped at a time in dire need. Tezuka needed help… and fast. Not caring that the blood was staining his clothes or that he'd have to replace his tennis uniform, the silver haired male quickly took off his jacket. "Move your hand." The boy did so without hesitation, and Atobe pressed the article of clothing against the wound, trying to prevent any more blood from seeping out or at least slow down the bleeding.

'_It's not enough… It's not enough!'_ "YOU," Atobe's voice boomed, directing his frustration towards the maid that had done nothing but stare for the past few minutes as all these things happened. He noticed by the mess on her clothes that she had also been the one to drop the knife. He knew that it wasn't her fault. That this was just an accident that he himself was the source of. Firing her wasn't something he could do even if he really wanted to. "Get help. NOW."

The maid that had been trembling at the sight of the blood snapped to life, and she nodded meekly, rushing out of the kitchen to get help at her master's command. There was a safety procedure if something serious happened like this. She knew what it was, and after following it, she knew that a doctor with whatever was needed to remedy things would be arriving soon. But now, she hoped that the sweet little boy would be alright. When she had started to stream out apologies to him, he had calmly told her that it wasn't her fault and that she shouldn't blame herself. It had surprised her. She sighed. The only thing she could do now was hope for the best for the boy.

And for herself, since she really couldn't get fired now since she was still new on the job and had finally managed to remember the layout of the mansion…

---

'_Is he mad at me…?'_ Young Tezuka never felt so much pain before in his life. At least, he didn't believe that he did. As he sat there on his knees and placed his right hand on his bleeding arm, his mind and body had started to calm down. He didn't care about what had happened to his arm. The pain he felt in his chest was far worse. _'Does he… hate me…?'_ The brunette knew that Atobe probably didn't, but possibilities were never limited. They were only limited if a person didn't want to accept something, but that didn't mean that that something could never be true…

Though he didn't see her, he knew that the maid was looking at him. "Sumanai…" he apologized evenly despite earlier events and present ones. "It's not your fault. Please, don't blame yourself." This was the second time he had been careless, and he not only put himself in danger, but he put someone else in danger as well. There was little he could do at the moment because of the condition he was in, but that didn't mean he couldn't reassure her and save her from the guilt that she might have been feeling from the whole incident. Though after he had done his part in being responsible, he had drifted off into his own thoughts once more.

'_Atobe-san…'_ He closed his eyes for a moment before giving out a small sigh. He opened his eyes, and they glinted slightly in understanding. _'I… Did I… like you? Is that why you seem so… familiar…?'_ "Atobe… Keigo…" he whispered out loud to himself. The name rolled off his tongue so easily, and he thought about how he liked how it sounded coming from his lips. It was only a moment after that he heard footsteps coming, and he knew that it was the one taking up the thoughts in his mind that had arrived.

He heard the other speak and was glad to hear the worried tone in the other's voice. But there was something else in the silver haired male's speech that he didn't quite understand. Why was there guilt…? When instructed, he removed his hand from his arm, but he made no reply. He didn't want to get careless anymore, so he showed only a blank expression on his face. He didn't want Atobe to be worried about him either, but he didn't know what to say or if he would really be able to say anything at all. He almost winced when the other yelled at the maid though.

It had only been a few moments after young Tezuka heard the maid leave, but he was already starting to feel the effects of the blood loss start to take its toll on his small body. His eyelids were starting to become heavy, and he allowed them to close halfway. Though, he didn't want to pass out. He knew it would only make the silver haired male worry about him more, and he didn't want that. He started breathing through his mouth, but his breaths soon became ragged. He knew that the cut wasn't that bad. It didn't hurt too much. But the reason why he bled so much was because his heart rate had been high, and his blood was rapidly pumping through his veins from all the running from before. Atobe was just overreacting.

"K…Kei…go…" The brunette allowed himself to close his eyes. "Nng…" His body swayed slightly as he started losing consciousness, but instead of falling, he felt the older male reposition themselves somehow so that his head rested comfortably against the other's chest. "It's not… your fault…"

"Stop talking." Atobe's voice just crack at the end…?

"But--"

"I said stop…" It was whispered, but young Tezuka hated how much pain seemed to emit from the other's words. "Every time… Tezuka… You're so stubborn… Kuso…!"

"…Keigo…" _'I'll be fine. Besides… I still want to… see you smile… like… before……'_

"Tezuka… Tezuka…! Tezuka!!! TEZUKA!!" Atobe shut his eyes tightly and buried his face in the younger one's hair. "Why… Why can't you blame someone else for once!?" He embraced the other gently, trying not to grip too tightly and cause more pain for the small boy. Lifting his head, he opened his eyes slowly breathed in and out, calming himself down. Despite what he was feeling, he gave out a cold laugh. "Dammit, Tezuka. Now I know how your fukubuchou feels…" He sighed and placed a kiss on the top of the brunette's head. Hearing footsteps, he felt only slightly relieved that help finally arrived.

"It's about time. Ore-sama hates waiting… but he gives you his regards for coming. So hurry up and get over here and stop the damn bleeding already."

* * *

**Author: I KNOW. I DIDN'T THINK IT'D WIND UP THIS WAY EITHER. DX I promise! Taki will come in the next chapter! T_T I swear! Pinky swear! Even though you can't really do that over the computer… but I promise! And well, I wanted to get this chapter done today, and I'm being pushed to finish, so… **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Even though it's really… It kind of has bad feelings, huh? I didn't think it'd turn out like this though. I swear. I had a whole different perception of what was going to happen… ~sigh~ I hope you all liked it though…! And yeah… XD Read and review!**


	5. Cute But Stubborn

**Author: Darn it, darn it, darn it. I can only HOPE that Taki will be in this chapter. I know! I pinky swore (I guess I did, at least. XD;), but like… I really don't know how long it will take me… and well, I get impatient really quickly ~curses Atobe for a moment~ so I might just leave him out of this chapter, too. DX I hope I don't, though. I already can predict how much fun I'm going to have putting him in here since I don't know his personality and all. XD**

**I'll try not to type way too much in the author's notes and stuff, but at times, I just can't really help it. It seems like part of the story in a way. XD My thoughts on how I think it might go. Well anyways, hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Because Atobe Keigo did not want something like this to ever happen again, and that he needed a level head in order in order to fulfill that, he proceeded to resist the urge to bang his head on the door that the young Tezuka resided in, currently being more thoroughly examined after being relocated to one of the guests rooms in order for the doctor to have better working space and view. Crossing his arms and leaning with his back against the wall next to the door, he closed his eyes and tilted his head upward lightly, opening his eyes and heaving a small sigh. He started to think about what he had come to understand about why the brunette had become so upset, but he still wasn't quite sure if he was correct or not.

Letting out a short, dry laugh, he realized that really, only Tezuka was the one individual able to make him doubt himself. Uncrossing his arms and placing his hands in his pockets, he forcefully kicked off the wall to stand straight and had started to pace in front of the door. He was still pent up with the nerves at whether the small boy was going to be okay or not, but he had to shake himself from those thoughts. How many times had the Seigaku buchou's arm been hurt now? Elbow. Shoulder. Now this? Three times? And he didn't know if there were other times even before the bespectacled male went to middle school. Taking a hand out of his pocket, he ran his fingers through his hair as in stopped in front of the door and glared at it like it was the door's fault for all of this happening.

Atobe knew he was being ridiculous, but it couldn't be helped. He was worried, and he really doubted that he'd be able to eat dinner now, especially after what had just occurred in the kitchen and since he'd surely be unable to force himself to eat, or if he got in a bite, he doubted he'd be able hold it down. And even though the narcissist knew that it was unhealthy to skip meals, it wasn't like he did it _that _occasionally, but every once in a while, he'd be busy with this or that and the other that he would _accidentally_ skip a meal. If he even realized, then he'd just shrug it off anyway. He was one to want to get work done, and if it prevented him from eating one meal, did it really matter anyway? Sure, he'd be a bit hungrier than usual later on, but that was it. No big loss.

Besides, juggling counseling work, tennis practice, regular school work, and even some business work which included the family business ate up a lot of his time. What most people thought of him upon sight and sound was that he was some rich bastard that had so much free time on his hands that he joined the Hyoutei tennis club from boredom. At least, he figured that those were the thoughts he was able to manage to make people think from first impressions. Of course, they were absolutely wrong if that was what they were thinking, and even though Atobe did act arrogant and overly flashy, he was used to the fact that his audiences and fans never thought of anything more than that. He almost chuckled at that. Wasn't that almost like how he had treated Tezuka in the beginning when the two had first met on the opposite sides of the court that day?

The silver haired male couldn't help but continue to be amazed time and time again how the meeting of one person can change a life so much… He shook his head, removing his hand from his hair and placing it back into his pocket as he continued to pace in front of the door once more. This was ridiculous. He was acting like some panicked middle school girl waiting for her unconscious boyfriend to wake up from a coma or something. With that thought, he almost cursed out loud as he newly placed blame on everything happening on the blue haired tensai of Hyoutei that hadn't even been there when all of this trouble happen. The damn romanticist.

After hearing light footsteps approaching the door, he was in front of it in a flash. When it opened, he immediately asked, "Is he going to be alright?" and almost smacked himself on the forehead. He really did sound like someone coming out of a romance movie or novel. He'd make sure never to accompany the bespectacled one on his team to the movies if they were going to go alone. He hadn't realized that somewhere along those odd outings, he had begun picking up whatever the hell disease the other male had been born with. The doctor raised an eyebrow, momentarily amused at the expressions the boy in front of him was showing before speaking.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, snapping the silver haired male of his thoughts that had obviously been stressing him out for a bit. "I'm glad to say that he'll be healed in no time." Atobe let out a deep breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. The doctor continued, "The incision on his lower arm was indeed, long, but it wasn't quite as deep as I had thought seeing the amount of blood that accumulated from it. Luckily, it only cut the skin and none of the muscles or blood vessels underneath. I disinfected the wound because of the jacket you used. Even though I know it was in order to slow the bleeding, the bacteria might have made the wound worse."

The doctor paused for a slight breather before continuing. "But I'm quite glad that you did what you did. If you hadn't done that, the boy probably would have needed a blood transfusion once I arrived, and that would have wasted more valuable time to rush him to the hospital. Anyways, I don't believe that he will suffer from any infections. I examined the knife which made the cut on his arm, and it showed no signs of being used beforehand, and the blade was fine, so the cut was clean. It'll only take a few weeks for the wound to heal, and it would be wise for him not to use his arm so much. I recommend that the bandages on his arm to be changed daily to keep them fresh and lower the percentage of causing infection.

"If he starts to feel the urge to scratch the wound, don't allow him to. It'll make it worse and take an even longer time for it to heal. Also…" The doctor sighed as he looked at the silver haired male that from the beginning, had been trying to look past him to see his patient peacefully sleeping on the bed. The slight rise and fall of the blankets on the small figure and the innocently blissful expression as the other slumbered was enough to ensure Atobe of Tezuka's full recover. The doctor knew that the one standing in front of him was listening even though his attention seemed to be elsewhere. "Also, if all goes well, the worst thing that could happen is that it leaves a small scar. And that's it."

The Hyoutei buchou gave a slight nod and walked into the room, not bothering one last look at the doctor. Pulling out a chair from a small, work desk, he placed it right next to the bed and perched himself on it, crossing his arms over his chest and crossing one leg over the other. The look the silver haired male was giving the small boy was intense and with the utmost of concentration that it pulled off as amusing to the doctor who covered his mouth and let out a small chuckle. _'Ah, young love. A bit too young if you ask me, but I suppose it has no limit.'_

Right after the doctor had that thought, Atobe spoke. "Thank you. You can leave now," he dismissed rather coldly despite that the guy had just saved the small boy's life. Not hearing the footsteps of someone leaving, the silver haired male became slightly alone, wanting to watch Tezuka sleep in peace without having another party join in. He cleared his throat. "Ore-sama said you can leave now." Still no sound of someone leaving or confirming of leaving anytime soon. "You know what? Just go away before Ore-sama makes you leave." Another chuckled from the one standing in the doorway.

"Alright. Good luck." And the doctor left, just like that.

Atobe just wondered what the heck that was all about before continuing to stare at the small boy lying on the bed that seemed too big in comparison. When the taller one's thoughts wandered to what other things could be done in a bed rather than just sleeping, his face became warm once more, and he immediately shook his head to clear his mind of those thoughts. _'Control. Stay in control,'_ he thought, fighting back his emotions. _'No matter how vulnerable he looks, no matter how… impatient you are… Stay. In. Control.'_ He breathed in deeply. He breathed out deeply. But when he breathed in deeply once more, his breath hitched in his throat as he heard the occupant of the bed murmur his name unconsciously.

Was the boy thinking of him? And if so… was he mad? _'No…'_ Sometimes, he wished that the other was capable of getting mad at him without feeling guilty about it later on despite how he was glad that the boy wasn't mad at him either. But at times, Atobe just really felt like he deserved that anger from the younger boy. This was twice now, after all. Twice that he had rendered the Seigaku buchou from being able to play tennis to his full potential. Sometimes, he just wondered if maybe the guilt was _because_ the other couldn't seem to place blame on him for what he had obviously done. The silver haired male stiffened once more as he heard his name escape the boy's lips once more, albeit a little louder this time.

And even though Atobe relaxed at what Tezuka said next, he couldn't help but feel even guiltier. "S-sumanai… Keigo…" The Hyoutei buchou sighed and shifted the chair as close to the side of the bed as possible, and reaching out with one hand, he began sifting his fingers through the other's hair affectionately.

"So naïve, Tezuka," the taller male said softly with a small, yet genuine smile, not knowing that it was the one that the small boy wished to see again. Deciding that even though he would rather watch the brunette for the rest of the night, the silver haired male still had work that needed to be finished. Standing up, he leaned over the figure of the bed, one arm on either side of the smaller one, and he allowed himself to close his eyes and enjoy the moment as his lips pressed against the younger one's in a gentle kiss. It only lasted for a brief moment as the older male pulled away and caressed the brunette's cheek with the back of his fingers. "Oyasumi… Tezuka." He planted one quick kiss on the boy's cheek as well before standing straight and quietly exiting the room, closing the door behind him with a soft _click._

Young Tezuka's eyes opened halfway as a sleepy smile appeared on his face. Closing his eyes, he yawned before whispering, "You too… Keigo…" And he snuggled into the blankets a bit further before letting sleep overtake him, thinking about how soft the taller male's lips were.

---

The next day, even though he had just suffered from an injury, the small brunette woke early in the morning. Around 5:00AM to be exact. It would be at this time every morning that he would wake up, actually, with or without his alarm. He was always the first to wake in his family as well. At that time in the morning, after refreshing himself in the bathroom, he would change into his jogging clothes and run twenty laps around the block. After finishing and taking a shower when he arrived back home, his family would still be sleeping, so he kept quiet in his room until they woke up and it would be time for breakfast. But in the meantime, he would check his bag once or twice to see if he had prepared everything alright that night. If his family still hadn't woken up after that, he would just read a book.

And _that _was why even though young Tezuka had just suffered from an injury, the small brunette woke early in the morning. Around 5:00AM to be exact. Sitting up, already fully awake from being used waking up at such a time and having gone to sleep earlier than usual because of what happened, he lifted his right hand and lightly brushed his fingers against his left arm. It felt familiar. He couldn't remember a time where he had suffered an injury as much as the one he had at the present, but apparently with how the silver haired male reacted just yesterday, this wasn't the first time. The feeling of helplessness was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Next, he moved his right hand from the bandages to his lips, pressing his fingers gently against them.

He licked his lips, and as he closed his eyes to relive the feeling of the older male kissing him, he couldn't help but give a small squeak as his cheeks turned warm in a blush. He was surprised at his own thoughts. _'It felt good…'_ He shook his head lightly and opened his eyes, telling himself that it would be better if he just think about these things later. Or just not at all. Because even though he was in a small body, Tezuka was still Tezuka, and when he had something in mind that he wanted to accomplish, he would get it done. He couldn't help but think that it was already too late for that, though. Sighing, he slid off the bed, knowing that he wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon.

Idly walking the hallways of the mansion, young Tezuka was quite surprised that he had grown accustomed to the place already. He placed his right hand in his pocket as he left his left arm dangling by his side, not wanting to move it since, even though it didn't hurt, he was still getting used to wearing the bandages more than the actual wound itself. It was then that he noticed that his clothes had slight traces of blood on them. He frowned lightly, wondering if the silver haired male had extra clothes in his size or if the two of them would have to go out and buy some. He was certain that the taller male would pay for anything that looked good without once having to look at the price, but the brunette would rather not have that happen… He sighed once more. Atobe was stubborn. Whether he remembered the other male or not, he already knew just by hanging around the guy.

Though young Tezuka smiled. That was what made the Hyoutei buchou such an interesting companion to be with. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he bumped into someone in the hallway. Thankfully, nothing fell on his this time, and as he looked up to see the blurred figure of a maid, the girl gasped out and started to speak a few streams of apologies. The shine in the corners of the girl's eyes notified him that she was beginning to start to cry, and suddenly, he recognized her voice as the one that had dropped the knife yesterday. He immediately felt guilty, and before her tears fell, he took her free hand in his right one and hugged it to his chest. "Please! Don't cry… I'm alright!" he said, the worry evident in his voice.

The maid just shook her head, and the tears streamed down her face anyway, though a big smile was on her face! "Oh, no! It's just… I'm so happy to see that you're up!" She put down whatever large object she was holding in her other hand and gently embraced him. He sighed in relief, but when he spotted the item that she had placed on the floor, his eyes widened. It was a large luggage bag. He frowned, his brows knitting together in thought.

"Don't tell me he… but… He should know…" young Tezuka started speaking, unsure of how he should explain what was on his mind. After pulling away, the maid looked at him in confusion for a few moments before waving her hands in front of her and laughing lightly.

"Oh, that's not what this is for! Don't worry about it! He didn't fire me, thankfully. Really, I've never seen Keigo-sama that angry and upset before since I first came on the job, but despite the way he acts and orders everyone around and stuff…" She lowered her voice and leaned closer to whisper in the brunette's ear. "I bet he's a real softy on the inside." She pulled back and giggled which caused young Tezuka to smile as well. The maid noticed this and gave a small gasp. He looked back at her with a puzzled expression. The boy was just so adorable!

"You know, I think he has a thing for you." She winked as she said this, and what she said and did was just enough to get the small boy embarrassed. "Aww, you're so cute! You're blushing!" The maid patted him on the head in an older sisterly like way and he looked down and started to fiddle with the bottom of his ((or Echizen's, more so)) shirt. Seeing this, she also noticed that the boy's clothes were tinted with blood. "Oh!" He looked up at her exclamation questioningly, though the blush was still evident in his cheeks. "That's what this is for," she exclaimed, referring to the luggage bag at her side. Young Tezuka blinked in confusion, not understanding.

"Oh, I'll show you! Um, which room did you stay in?" she asked, picking up the luggage bag once more with a little bit of trouble. It looked a little heavy. The Seigaku buchou stared at it for a moment before opening his mouth to speak before he was cut off by the maid. "No, no! I'm fine! This things is bigger than you anyway! And your arm!" She laughed. "Come on, just lead the way." He nodded and the two made their way back to the guest room he had slept in. "Hey… why are you up so early anyway?" she asked after a while, curious. "Not even a lot of adults like waking up at this time when they don't have to," she commented thoughtfully.

"I'm used to it," he answered politely. "I usually wake up around this time at home to run laps around the block." Her eyes widened in surprise.

"This early in the morning?" she questioned. "What are you running the laps for? Punishment or something?" She giggled to herself at that thought. "You don't seem like the type to get into trouble." The small boy just shrugged.

"Training," he answered easily. She blinked.

"For what?"

"Tennis." Ah, now that made sense. A knowing smile crept upon the maid's face as their journey seemed to last longer than the both of them had expected, but it wasn't awkward in the least. The two of them were able to make light conversation. After a bit, the maid had told him to call her 'Ruuko-chan' or 'Onee-chan' or something similar. The brunette just nodded and told the girl that 'Tezuka' was just fine. She had frowned and had started calling him 'Mitsu-chan', making him frown since that reminded him that that was how his mother called him. He told her this, and she just laughed it off and persisted. He pouted the rest of the way as she continued to tease him about it.

When the two had finally arrived, she heaved the heavy luggage bag onto the bed and opened it up, revealing the contents. Young Tezuka blinked. It was filled with clothes. And they all looked just about the right size to fit him. He turned his gaze towards Ruuko where she stood, hands on her hips, with a triumphant smile on her face. He tilted his head slightly to the side in a cute manner. "Did you… find all these yourself…?"

He was answered with a proud, "Hai!" He straightened, and though he was grateful, there was a hint of worry in his gaze. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but the maid cut him off yet again. "Oh, oh, no need to thank me! It was all my idea anyway, so don't worry about it!"

"Sumanai…"

"Shush, you! I said don't worry about it, didn't I? Sigh, Mitsu-chan, you worry too much, but it's so cute! I guess it's part of your charm~!" And she embraced him gently once more and burst into a fit of giggles. He just sighed and thought about how at times, she really did remind him of his mother. It was somewhat unnerving, but he waved the feeling away. After she pulled away, she started looking through the clothes and pulled out a uniform that looked familiar. "Oh! This would look great on you!" She held the shirt up in front of him, and she continued, "I thought so!"

She placed the shirt neatly on the bed, and turning back to the brunette, she commanded, "Lift your arms." He remembered hearing that command from the blue haired male that was wearing the same uniform at the time. Though, he ignored the nervous feeling creeping up within him and did as he was told. His left arm didn't hurt that much so he could probably dress himself without any assistance, but he believed that Ruuko would probably make a fuss if she wasn't able to be the one to dress him. One quick motion had the shirt that young Tezuka was wearing off. The second quick motion and the other shirt was already on him. "Okay, done." He blinked as he let his arms fall to his sides. That was fast.

"Ah… Arigatougozai--"

"Stop, stop right there!" she exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her, and she looked like someone trying to wave for a driver to stop their car before she was run over. "I told you already! It's no problem!" She patted him on the head, and resting her hand there, she looked up for a moment before wondering aloud, "You know, you're really skinny." He pouted. The blue haired figure had said that, too. Maybe if he had his glasses, he'd actually take a good look at her to see if she had blue hair, too. "Are you hungry?" she asked, pulling back her hand and crossing her arms over her chest. Young Tezuka was about to answer in the negative but his stomach had acted up right then. Ruuko took that as his answer.

"Oh my! You must be starving! You poor little dear. You didn't eat dinner last night, right? What would you like?" she asked. And before he could answer, she continued. He really was getting cut off quite a lot. "Come on and follow me! I can even give you a menu! I thought it was weird at first, but this place is just really flashy. It's pretty amazing. Unless you want to order something that you would like to eat right off the top of your head?"

"Unacha."

"…Eh?"

"Eel… with rice… if that's okay…"

"Oh, it's fine, it's fine! Will do!" She smiled and started leaving the room. "I'll wait outside. I'm sure you can change your shorts on your own, right~?" She winked, and he pouted.

"Of course." She giggled and shook her head. "Ah, Mitsu-chan~ Mitsu-chan~" she said in a playfully exasperated tone as she closed the door behind her. It was then, that the poor maid was met face to face with none other than Atobe Keigo-sama. "A-ah-ah!" she squeaked, immediately straightening and bowing as low as she could with the little space in between them. "Ohayogozaimashita! Keigo-sama!"

"What were you doing in there," he demanded, folding his arms across his chest, his grayish blue eyes narrowed, cold, and calculating.

"I met Mitsu-cha--- I-I-I-I mean, Kuni- Tezuka-sama in the hallway, and I accompanied him back to his room since I told him he should be getting some re-re-rest a-a-and--"

"Okay. I get it. Now move out of the way so I can have a word with him."

"B-b-but…!"

"Ahn? Are you telling Ore-sama what to do? You better watch that big mouth of yours, girl, before I fire you." And with that, he placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her aside, not enough force to make her fall but to put her slightly off balance. She looked away as he opened the door. And as he opened the door, the silver haired male couldn't help but stop and stare. And the brunette stared back in shock in surprise, frozen in place.

---

The younger boy could hear muffled noises on the other side of the door, but despite the door being right there, the thickness of it and the walls prevented him from hearing the conversation that was happening outside. Figuring that whoever else had come had been another maid, servant, or butler, he figured that Ruuko would be able to explain to them why she wasn't doing anything besides standing outside the door to a guest room. He had lifted his leg in order to put it through the shorts. He was changing a bit more slowly than he usually would have, but that was because he was being careful not to move so suddenly as to cause his arm from hurting. And that was when the door had been opened.

He was quite lucky, really. His knee had been covering his *ahem* since he was trying to put his shorts on, but besides that, the bottom half of his body was fully exposed. And he was frozen in place though he could swear that someone must have turned up the heat again. But it didn't help that the silver haired male seemed to freeze up as well and continued to stare at him. Young Tezuka probably would have fallen if it wasn't for the fact that he placed his right hand on the bed to support himself. But he really just wished the other could stop staring.

---

Atobe cursed himself inwardly for being unable to tear his eyes away, but he knew he couldn't just _stay_ there. Something else might happen. Something else that was bad. Catching the smaller boy in the middle of changing was such a _great_ way to make their situation less awkward. Note the sarcasm. Finally able to break his gaze, the silver haired male looked at the floor and backed up, out of the room, mumbling a small, "Warui na," before closing the door shut. After that, he glared at the door once more like it was the cause of all his troubles and turned and left.

"I told you so~"

"Shut up. Ore-sama is going downstairs, and Ore-sama will be waiting until our guest is… properly ready to be spoken to."

"Hai!" After the Hyoutei buchou had turned a corner, Ruuko let out a heavy sigh and knocked on the door. "Mitsu-chan? Are you finished?" She was answered when the door opened revealing a fully clothed young Tezuka whose face was still red in a furious blush. "Aw, Mitsu-chan, it's okay." And she hugged him once more, though the maid was slightly surprised when he gave a one armed hug back. "Gomen, gomen. He wouldn't listen." The brunette just nodded silently, unable to speak up just yet. "Are you still hungry?" A pause. Then a small nod. And the two of them made their way to the dining room downstairs.

"He's waiting for you there," Ruuko said after a while. The boy just kept on walking as if he didn't hear anything, but she knew he did, and that he was thinking over what he was going to do. "You should just tell him, you know." He looked up her with questioning eyes. The maid frowned. "Stop being so stubborn. You know what I mean." He looked down, thinking it over for a moment before shaking his head no. "He likes you. You have nothing to worry about." He quickly gazed over at her, eyes widened slightly. And then he pouted. Ruuko gave out a frustrated sigh. "Come _on_! How can you _not_ notice? I even talked to some of the other servants! He doesn't treat you the way he does his teammates." He just looked down and continued to shake his head no.

"Fine, be that way, Mitsu-chan. But just know that I'm there for you all the way! You can do it!" He gave her a grateful look with a small smile. She just winked and patted his head, and the two of them descended the stairs in silence from then on. When they reached the bottom of the steps, she only said, "I'll go tell the chef what you wanted. The dining room is over there where he'll be waiting… Good luck!" And young Tezuka was now on his own to face Atobe by himself. Breathing in and out evenly, he calmed himself down. He needed to keep calm or else he wouldn't be able to say anything in the other male's presence… But even with the awkward moment that had happened earlier, the brunette remembered his thoughts and his new goal.

So with his brown eyes lit with determination, he entered the dining room where the silver haired male sat with arms folded across his chest and one legged crossed over the other as he was already looking towards the entryway in wait.

* * *

**Author: Almost. Okay, next chapter… I keep saying that, huh? XD; Sorry. But I can't help it! I didn't even realize that the maid was going to become a big part of this until I started making her… talk so much! XD; My bad! And she even has a name now. Damn. People with names are important. ~feels somewhat sorry for mushroom~ XD **

**Anyways, I think the characters may be getting OOC or something, but… I'm not too sure. Read and review and tell me if I'm being consistent with the characters' personalities or not? And because a review got me thinking, when Taki appears, there's going to be characters from another school as well. XD; I guess. Hopefully. Man, things have really been off from what I've been wanting at the moment, but as long it's enjoyable, well, I guess that's okay! XD**

**Until the next chapter! ^_^**

**Atobe's servants and stuff are all spies, I swear. XD**


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